Aerobic Exercise for Pain Modulation

Overseen By Carolina Valencia, PhD

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Texas, El Paso

Must not be taking: Pain medications, Blood thinners

Disqualifiers: Chronic pain, Blood disorders, Respiratory conditions, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 9

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how high-intensity aerobic exercise can reduce pain sensitivity. Exercise may activate brain pathways that decrease pain, especially after experiencing pain during exercise. The trial compares the effects of multiple exercise sessions versus a single session on pain relief, considering factors like optimism and stress. Individuals who are pain-free and not engaged in vigorous physical activities, such as aerobics, might be suitable for this trial. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research on exercise and pain management.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

If you regularly use prescription pain medication or blood thinning medication, you cannot participate in this trial. The protocol does not specify about other medications, so it's best to discuss with the trial coordinators.

What prior data suggests that aerobic high intensity interval training is safe for pain modulation?

Research has shown that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is generally manageable for most people. Studies have found it can help reduce pain in those with muscle and joint issues, suggesting HIIT might be safe for others as well. Some reports even indicate it can improve fitness and quality of life.

One study found that high-intensity exercise did not reduce pain more than low-intensity exercise. However, this does not imply it is unsafe; it simply did not provide additional pain relief.

Overall, HIIT is often used in medical care, supporting its safety. Participants in these studies did not report major problems, indicating that the exercise is well-tolerated. For those considering joining a trial with HIIT, this information suggests it should be safe. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the aerobic high-intensity interval training (HIIT) being studied for pain modulation because it offers a non-pharmacological approach to pain relief. Unlike traditional pain management methods like medications, HIIT may enhance the body's natural pain control mechanisms through regular, structured exercise sessions. This method also promotes overall physical fitness, which can contribute to long-term health benefits beyond just pain relief. By exploring how different exercise regimens affect pain perception, researchers hope to uncover insights that could lead to more personalized and effective pain management strategies.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for pain modulation?

This trial will compare different aerobic exercise regimens for pain modulation. Studies have shown that aerobic exercise can help manage pain in certain conditions, such as fibromyalgia. Aerobic exercise, including high-intensity interval training (HIIT), does not worsen pain or increase sensitivity to it. This suggests that aerobic exercise might reduce pain without causing additional discomfort. Research indicates that regular high-intensity exercise could enhance the nervous system's ability to manage pain, as exercise may activate brain pathways that help reduce pain. However, scientists continue to study how continuous high-intensity exercise affects pain sensitivity, especially in non-athletes. Participants in this trial will be assigned to either a Multiple Exercise Session Group (MES) or a Single Exercise Session Group (SES) to further explore these effects. ^{2 3 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Priyanka Rana, PT, MPT, PhD

Principal Investigator

Department of Physical Therapy and Movement Science, University of Texas at El Paso

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for healthy adults aged 18-50 who are pain-free. It aims to explore how high-intensity aerobic exercise affects the body's ability to control and perceive pain.

Inclusion Criteria

I do not experience pain.

I am between 18 and 50 years old.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

1 visit (in-person)

Baseline Assessment

Participants complete baseline assessments including psychological questionnaires and psychophysical approaches to measuring individual sensitivity and endogenous pain modulation.

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Intervention

Participants undergo aerobic high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with individualized exercise programs. Multiple Exercise Session Group (MES) attends six sessions over two weeks, while Single Exercise Session Group (SES) attends three sessions.

2 weeks

6 visits (in-person) for MES, 3 visits (in-person) for SES

Post-Intervention Assessment

Immediately after the intervention, CPM and QST measures are reassessed.

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in pain sensitivity and the influence of psychosocial factors on pain perception.

2 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Aerobic High Intensity Interval Training

Trial Overview The study tests whether repeated sessions of high-intensity interval training can train the nervous system to better inhibit pain in non-athletes, compared to just a single session.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Multiple Exercise Session Group (MES) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will undergo six sessions, including four sessions of aerobic exercise intervention with QST assessed during each session and questionnaires completed during the first and fifth sessions. Participants will attend six sessions over two weeks (approximately every 48-72 hours).

Group II: Single Exercise Session Group (SES) Active Control 1 Intervention

Participants will undergo three sessions, including one aerobic exercise intervention session with QST, and questionnaires assessed during both sessions. Participants will attend three sessions, with the second session approximately two weeks after the first. Each visit will last between 1 to 1.5 hours.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Texas, El Paso

Lead Sponsor

Trials

17

Recruited

3,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10583145/

The effectiveness of aerobic exercise for pain management in ... Overall, our results indicate that aerobic exercise is effective for pain management in patients with fibromyalgia.

2. elifesciences.org elifesciences.org/articles/102392

Acute aerobic exercise intensity does not modulate pain ... Overall, high-intensity (HI) aerobic exercise did not reduce pain as compared to low-intensity aerobic exercise. Accordingly, we observed no ...

3. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468781223001091

Pain intensity and pain sensitivity are not increased by a ... This study found that a single session of 15 min of high-intensity interval aerobic exercise does not increase pain intensity nor pain sensitivity compared to ...

4. mdpi.com mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/6/2918

Acute Effects of a High-Intensity Interval Training Protocol ... This study aimed to evaluate the acute effects of HIIT on pain sensitivity and inflammatory markers in persons with CNSLBP compared to healthy controls (HCs)

5. physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1113/EP091884

The effectiveness of aerobic exercise on pain and disability in ... Aerobic exercise (AE) was shown to be equally effective as other active treatment modalities in reducing neck pain, although the overall ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9601160/

Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on Patients ... A number of articles have recently shown that HIIT could improve pain-related clinical variables in patients with musculoskeletal disorders [15, ...

7. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1440244023004218

Clinical updates on the effects of high intensity interval ... Participation in HIIT exercise was associated with higher retention and improvements in aerobic fitness, quality of life, pain and diastolic blood pressure.

8. onlinelibrary.wiley.com onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ejsc.12126

Aerobic high‐intensity interval training and maximal ... Our findings suggest that high-intensity training should be implemented as a part of standard clinical care of this patient population.