NEW YORK, Jun 07 (Reuters Health) - Moderate aerobic exercise can--at least
temporarily--reduce the perception of pain in the entire body, research
suggests. This is true even in people with chronic lower back problems,
according to a report.
In a study at the VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, researchers
found that 25 minutes on an exercise bike reduced pain perception among 10
healthy people and 8 with lower back pain. The effect lasted for 30 minutes
after exercise, according to a team led by Dr. Martin Hoffman.
Hoffman presented the findings last week in Indianapolis, Indiana, at the
annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine.
Participants in the study had pain that was confined to lower back muscles.
Hoffman told Reuters Health that as long as exercise does not exacerbate a back
injury, it may alleviate the pain. None of the subjects with back pain had been
regular exercisers, and Hoffman said that inactivity can contribute to muscular
back pain.
Hoffman's team measured subjects' pain perception by putting pressure on
their index fingers for 2 minutes and having them rate their pain every 10
seconds. Subjects took the pain test before exercise, shortly after, and again
at 32 minutes after exercise. Both the healthy group and back pain group showed
similar drops in pain perception following exercise.
Hoffman said the fact that leg-intensive exercise reduced finger pain shows
that exercise affects pain perception in the whole body. So exercise may help
any type of chronic muscular pain. And, Hoffman noted, the benefit may not be
limited to aerobic exercise. Some research shows that strengthening exercises
may also improve lower back pain.
