Physical Activity to Reduce Pain Scale in Diabetic Neuropathy Patients: A Scoping Review

This study aims to identify physical activity that can reduce pain scales in diabetic neuropathy patients.

The scoping review method was used in this research using three databases and one search engine, namely PubMed, CINAHL, Sage Journal, and Google Scholar. Inclusion criteria include full-text articles and publications in English and Indonesian between 2012-2022 with a minimal quasi-experimental design. Critical Appraisal was used to assess the article's bias.

Research found 12 articles discussing the effectiveness of activity training in reducing the pain scale in diabetic neuropathy patients from the results of a scoping review of 12 studies, articles were found that used pain scales such as the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Foot Health Status Questionnaire Pain Score (FHSQ), and Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic symptoms and signs Scale for pain assessment, in measuring pain intensity. Some variations of physical activity include aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, vibration, and a combination of aerobic and resistance training. 30 minutes each session for 8 weeks with a frequency of 6 days/week. These studies used various designs, namely RCT, Experiment, and Quasi-experimental Pre test-post test with control group design Physical activity improves blood circulation and minimizes peripheral nerve damage so that pain intensity can decrease.

Conclusion: Physical activity intervention is effective in reducing pain scales in diabetic neuropathy patients and can be a supportive therapy for diabetic neuropathy patients who experience pain.