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Physical activity behavior predicts endogenous pain modulation in older adults
Kelly M Naugle1, Thomas Ohlman1, Keith E Naugle1
1Department of Kinesiology, Center for Physical Activity in Wellness and Prevention, School of Physical Education and Tourism Management, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
Pain
|February 11, 2017
Summary
Physical activity influences pain modulation in older adults. Sedentary time and light activity enhance pain inhibition, while moderate activity reduces pain facilitation, suggesting tailored exercise can manage chronic pain risk.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Pain Science
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- Older adults exhibit heightened pain facilitation and reduced pain inhibition compared to younger adults.
- Physical activity is linked to better pain modulation in healthy adults, but its role in older populations is understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if objective physical activity measures predict pain modulation in healthy older adults.
- To examine the relationship between sedentary time, light physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with pain inhibition (conditioned pain modulation - CPM) and pain facilitation (temporal summation - TS).
Main Methods:
- Fifty-one healthy older adults wore accelerometers for 7 days to measure physical activity.
- Participants completed conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and temporal summation (TS) tests.
- Hierarchical linear regressions analyzed the association between physical activity metrics and pain modulation, controlling for covariates.
Main Results:
- Reduced sedentary time and increased light physical activity (LPA) were associated with enhanced pain inhibitory capacity (CPM).
- Higher moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was linked to reduced pain facilitation (TS).
Conclusions:
- Different types of physical activity differentially affect pain modulation processes in older adults.
- Objective measures of physical activity, including sedentary time and LPA, are important predictors of pain inhibitory function.
- MVPA plays a role in reducing pain facilitation, suggesting a multifaceted approach to physical activity for pain management in aging.
