Exercise and movement in musculoskeletal pain: a double-edged problem
Roberto Casale1, Pierluigi L Chimento2, Michelangelo Bartolo3
1Habilita, Hospitals & Research Neurorehabilitation Unit and Department of Advanced Technology Rehabilitation & Pain Rehabilitation Units, di Ciserano (BG).
Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care
|August 2, 2018
Summary
Exercise and movement show promise for pain management, but clinical evidence is still limited. More rigorous trials are needed to confirm the benefits of exercise for controlling musculoskeletal pain and disability.
Area of Science:
- Pain Medicine
- Palliative Care
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
Background:
- Exercise and movement are gaining traction in pain and palliative care beyond traditional physical medicine.
- The bidirectional relationship between pain and movement is intuitive, yet the role of exercise in pain control is less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide pain and palliative medicine specialists with recent insights into exercise and movement for musculoskeletal disorders.
- To critically review the current evidence on exercise's role in managing pain and disability.
Main Methods:
- Critical review of recent literature.
- Analysis of basic science and clinical research findings.
Main Results:
- Basic science research strongly supports exercise's positive effects on pain.
- Clinical research evidence is often of low quality, with conflicting results across systematic reviews.
Conclusions:
- There is a significant gap between basic science findings and clinical evidence regarding exercise for pain control.
- High-quality clinical trials are essential to establish the efficacy of exercise interventions for pain management.
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