This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

From osteoarthritis to a splitting migraine, when you're experiencing pain, exercise can seem like the last thing you want or think you should do. But according to new Adelaide University research published in PAIN Reports, it could be one of the most effective ways to help ease your symptoms.

In a new study of 157 systematic reviews, 2,736 randomized controlled trials and 221,279 participants, researchers found that exercise can significantly reduce acute and chronic pain across a wide range of conditions, including musculoskeletal, neurological, inflammatory and cancer-related pain.

Importantly, shorter-duration and lower-intensity programs delivered greater pain reductions, with significant benefits also seen in programs involving less than two hours of exercise a week.

Overall, exercise reduced pain by around 1.1 points on a 0–10 scale—a reduction around 60% larger than the average pain relief reported for common pain medications in separate chronic pain trials.

The study is the most comprehensive synthesis of exercise for pain relief to date.

Lead researcher Dr. Ben Singh said that despite compelling evidence that exercise can deliver meaningful benefits, it remains underused as a treatment for pain.

"When we exercise, our body releases chemicals including endorphins and serotonin that can help reduce how strongly we feel pain and increase our pain tolerance," Singh said.

"Additionally, it helps calm inflammation and change the way our brain responds to pain , while also improving mood.

Source link