RSDM RESEARCH: Exercise could help predict susceptibility to chronic pain

Dr. Junad Khan

RSDM researchers have documented a link between exercise and pain modulation that could ultimately help physicians treat patients and predict whether they have a propensity to develop chronic pain.

Past scientific studies have established that exercise helps reduce pain, an effect known as "exercise-induced hypoanalgesia" or "EIH." The capacity to withstand painful stimuli after exercising can vary among individuals: some experience a higher degree of EIH than others, according to Dr. Junad Khan, an Assistant Professor of Diagnostic Sciences, who led the study with former RSDM faculty member Dr. Eli Eliav, now vice Dean for Oral Health at University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.

The RSDM research tested rats after they exercised on a treadmill and were exposed to painful stimuli to determine their level of EIH. Results showed that rats with a high EIH profile — meaning they experienced more pain reduction following exercise – developed less pain from a nerve injury than rats with a low EIH profile, said Khan. The study was published earlier this month in the Journal of Pain.

Khan believes that EIH has the potential to be used as a diagnostic tool to predict odds of developing chronic pain. The RSDM study was the first to focus on pain modulation, rather than factors such as pain threshold, he said.

The study offers evidence that patients with an inefficient pain modulation system could be at a higher risk for developing chronic pain following injury. "We could use it as a form of patient profiling," said Khan.

This profiling may support the development of more effective individual pain management plans for patients before surgery, said Khan. He and Eliav are currently studying the effects of various medications on EIH profiles. "We're looking at personalized tailored pharmacological management of pain," he said.