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Review
. 2020 Sep 23;5(5):e823.
doi: 10.1097/PR9.0000000000000823. eCollection 2020 Sep-Oct.

Exercise-induced hypoalgesia after acute and regular exercise: experimental and clinical manifestations and possible mechanisms in individuals with and without pain

Henrik Bjarke Vaegter  1   2 , Matthew David Jones  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Exercise-induced hypoalgesia after acute and regular exercise: experimental and clinical manifestations and possible mechanisms in individuals with and without pain

Henrik Bjarke Vaegter et al. Pain Rep. .

Abstract

Exercise and physical activity is recommended treatment for a wide range of chronic pain conditions. In addition to several well-documented effects on physical and mental health, 8 to 12 weeks of exercise therapy can induce clinically relevant reductions in pain. However, exercise can also induce hypoalgesia after as little as 1 session, which is commonly referred to as exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH). In this review, we give a brief introduction to the methodology used in the assessment of EIH in humans followed by an overview of the findings from previous experimental studies investigating the pain response after acute and regular exercise in pain-free individuals and in individuals with different chronic pain conditions. Finally, we discuss potential mechanisms underlying the change in pain after exercise in pain-free individuals and in individuals with different chronic pain conditions, and how this may have implications for clinical exercise prescription as well as for future studies on EIH.

Keywords: Exercise; Hypoalgesia; Mechanisms; Pain sensitivity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.Sponsorships or competing interests that may be relevant to content are disclosed at the end of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Expectations about the effects of low-intensity exercise, moderate-intensity exercise, and vigorous-intensity exercise on pain reported by patients (n = 500) referred for interdisciplinary pain treatment at a University Hospital Pain Center in Denmark (unpublished data from the clinical pain registry, PainData).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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