Cancer survivors frequently deal with chronic pain, but a recent study suggests that physical activity may help reduce the severity of that discomfort.
While it has been demonstrated that exercise reduces a variety of pains, it is unclear how exercise affects pain associated with cancer.
The study, published online in the journal CANCER, shows that higher levels of physical activity are linked with less pain, and to a similar extent in adults with and without a history of cancer.
“It may feel counterintuitive to some, but physical activity is an effective, non-pharmacological option for reducing many types of pain. As our study suggests, this may include pain associated with cancer and its treatments,” said Dr. Erika Rees-Punia, from the Department of Population Science, American Cancer Society, in Georgia.
For the study, a team from the American Cancer Society, US and the University of Melbourne in Australia, analysed information about 51,439 adults without a history of cancer and 10,651 adults with a past cancer diagnosis.
Participants were asked, “How would you rate your pain on average,” with responses ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable). Participants were also asked about their usual physical activity.
The results showed that for individuals who had cancer in the past as well as for those without a history of cancer, more physical activity was linked with lower pain intensity.
The extent of the association was similar for both groups of individuals, indicating that exercise may reduce cancer-related pain just as it does for other types of pain that have been studied in the past.
Among participants with a past cancer diagnosis, those exceeding physical activity guidelines were 16 per cent less likely to report moderate-to-severe pain compared to those who failed to meet physical activity guidelines.
Also, compared with people who remained inactive, those who were consistently active or became active in older adulthood reported less pain.
(With IANS Inputs)
ALSO READ: What makes you prone to Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer? Know symptoms and risk factors
