[Comparative study of effort training in deconditioned patients with and without pain. A preliminary study]

The deconditioning or disuse syndrome is a recent nosological entity, based on medical, professional, social and psychological arguments. The aim of the study was to measure the physical condition in deconditioning situation and to evaluate the effectivity of a training program on five chronic painful patients and five painless subjects.

After determining the physical aspects of the deconditioning syndrome using three tests and evaluating pain, this prospective study evaluated the benefits of a six weeks effort training period called "interval training" in subjects with and without chronic pain. The inclusion criteria were the patient's consent, the absence of etiological treatment of the pain and the absence cardiotropic medication. The data were compared using the t-test of Student. After the training protocol, people were satisfied. A significant increase of Maximum Oxygen Uptake, Maximum Tolerance Power duration of recovery and cardiac adaptation of effort were observed. Pain didn't seem to be a limited factor to cardiac effort training and decreased actively after the program.

A training effort protocol can help to reduce the deconditioning syndrome whether people are painful or not. The improvements of physical parameters seem to be reinforced by a better self assurance.