Fibromyalgia is a medical condition characterized by chronic widespread pain and a heightened pain response to pressure. Other symptoms include feeling tired to a degree that normal activities are affected, sleep problems, and troubles with memory. Some people also report restless legs syndrome, bowel or bladder problems, numbness and tingling, and sensitivity to noise, lights or temperature. Fibromyalgia is frequently associated with depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. This study demonstrated exercise decreased pain sensitivity demonstrated by functional neuroimaging. This study suggests exercise can increase pain tolerance and a better quality of life.

The Research:

Brain Sci. 2016 Feb 26;6(1). pii: E8. doi: 10.3390/brainsci6010008.

Exercise Strengthens Central Nervous System Modulation of Pain in Fibromyalgia.

Ellingson LD¹, Stegner AJ^2,3, Schwabacher IJ^4,5, Koltyn KF⁶, Cook DB^7,8.

Author information

• ¹Department of Kinesiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA. ellingl@iastate.edu.
• ²William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI 53706, USA. astegner@wisc.edu.
• ³Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA. astegner@wisc.edu.
• ⁴William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI 53706, USA. ischwabacher@wisc.edu.
• ⁵Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA. ischwabacher@wisc.edu.
• ⁶Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA. kelli.koltyn@wisc.edu.
• ⁷William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI 53706, USA. dane.cook@wisc.edu.
• ⁸Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA. dane.cook@wisc.edu.

Abstract

To begin to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the benefits of exercise for chronic pain, we assessed the influence of exercise on brain responses to pain in fibromyalgia (FM). Complete data were collected for nine female FM patients and nine pain-free controls (CO) who underwent two functional neuroimaging scans, following exercise (EX) and following quiet rest (QR). Brain responses and pain ratings to noxious heat stimuli were compared within and between groups. For pain ratings, there was a significant (p < 0.05) Condition by Run interaction characterized by moderately lower pain ratings post EX compared to QR (d = 0.39-0.41) for FM but similar to ratings in CO (d = 0.10-0.26), thereby demonstrating that exercise decreased pain sensitivity in FM patients to a level that was analogous to pain-free controls. Brain responses demonstrated a significant within-group difference in FM patients, characterized by less brain activity bilaterally in the anterior insula following QR as compared to EX. There was also a significant Group by Condition interaction with FM patients showing less activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex following QR as compared to post-EX and CO following both conditions. These results suggest that exercise appeared to stimulate brain regions involved in descending pain inhibition in FM patients, decreasing their sensitivity to pain. Thus, exercise may benefit patients with FM via improving the functional capacity of the pain modulatory system.