Are you in pain? In some cases, exercising may be as good as painkillers
From pilates to tai chi, even modest amounts of exercise can relieve pain as effectively as common pain medicines, opening the door to holistic therapeutic approaches, according to a new study.
Exercise may offer relief for various types of pain, including migraines, period cramps, and chronic pain, much like common painkillers, according to a new study by Adelaide University. Researchers analyzed 157 systematic reviews, including 2,736 randomized controlled trials and over 220,000 participants, to determine the effectiveness of exercise in managing pain.
They found that exercise can significantly reduce both acute and chronic pain, with a 1.1-point reduction on a 0-10 pain scale, which is roughly 60% greater than the average relief reported for common medications. Low-intensity exercise tended to produce greater pain relief than moderate-to-vigorous activity, and programs lasting around 12 weeks showed larger effects than longer ones.
Lead researcher Ben Singh noted that shorter-duration and lower-intensity programs also showed greater reductions in pain, suggesting that people may not need to exercise harder or for longer to experience meaningful benefits. The researchers emphasized that exercise releases chemicals like endorphins and serotonin, which can help reduce pain perception and increase pain tolerance.
However, they also pointed out that exercise remains underused as a treatment for pain and is rarely prescribed by healthcare providers with the same precision as medication. The study authors called for definitive guidance on prescribing exercise programs, taking into account factors like the type of exercise, intensity, and duration, as current recommendations are often vague and not based on specific evidence for each patient.
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