UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE STUDY LINKS EXERCISE TO PAIN RELIEF

Researchers at the University of Adelaide have found that exercise is linked to reduced pain across a wide range of conditions, including osteoarthritis, migraine, neurological disorders, inflammatory diseases and cancer-related pain. The analysis, described as the most comprehensive synthesis to date of exercise as a pain treatment, drew on 157 systematic reviews covering 2,736 randomised controlled trials and 221,279 participants. On average, exercise reduced pain by about 1.1 points on a 0 to 10 scale, the researchers said. They said the reduction was roughly 60 per cent larger than the average pain relief reported in separate trials of commonly used medications, though this was not a direct comparison and does not show that exercise outperforms medication for any specific condition.

Lower-intensity and shorter exercise programmes produced greater pain reductions than longer or more strenuous ones, the study found. Meaningful benefits were also recorded in programmes totalling less than two hours of exercise a week, the researchers said. Chronic pain affects about one in five adults globally, according to the study. Exercise is often recommended only in broad terms, the researchers said, rather than prescribed with the same detail as medication.

Dr Ben Singh, who led the research at the University of Adelaide, said exercise may influence pain through several biological pathways. He said exercise releases chemicals including endorphins and serotonin, which can reduce how strongly pain is felt and increase pain tolerance. Dr Singh said it also helps calm inflammation, changes how the brain responds to pain, and improves mood. He said these effects help explain why exercise can be such a powerful tool for managing pain.