Abstract
Chronic pain contributes to social, emotional, physical and economical loses, and accounts for over US$100 billion in treatment-related costs and lost work productivity. With pain patient's functional decline, physical activity frequently ceases due to temporary increases in pain and/or fear of reinjury, leading to a vicious deconditioning cycle of discontinuation of inactivity, weight gain, increased pain, and functional decline. The current treatments of choice for chronic pain is pharmacological management (which may not be a sufficient) and a holistic approach. With this decade being congressionally declared the 'Decade of Pain Control and Research', it is important to increase public health awareness of the significance of physical activity, as well as examine additional cost-effective, integrated approaches to help manage the complex and debilitating effects of this condition. This article reviews the current state of evidence on exercise and subsequent weight loss as an adjunctive therapy to chronic pain management. This safe, cost-free, non-pharmacological way of managing pain has been found to reduce anxiety and depression, improve physical capacity, increase functioning and independence, and have further implications for morbidity and mortality.
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