Psychosocial Influences on Exercise-Induced Hypoalgesia

Objective. The purpose of this study was to examine psychosocial influences on exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH). Design. Randomized controlled trial. Setting. Clinical research unit in a hospital. Subjects. Fifty-eight healthy men and women (mean age = 21 ± 3 years) participated in this study. Methods. Participants were first asked to complete a series of baseline demographic and psychological questionnaires including the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, the Fear of Pain Questionnaire, and the Family Environment Scale. Following this, they were familiarized with both temporal summation of heat pain and pressure pain testing protocols. During their next session, participants completed the Profile of Mood States, rated the intensity of heat pulses, and indicated their pressure pain thresholds and ratings before and after three minutes of submaximal, isometric exercise. Situational catastrophizing was assessed at the end of the experimental session. Results. Results indicated that experimental pain sensitivity was significantly reduced after exercise (P < 0.05). Men and women did not differ on any of the measured psychosocial variables (P > 0.05). Positive family environments predicted attenuated pain sensitivity and greater EIH, whereas negative and chronic pain-present family environments predicted worse pain and EIH outcomes. Situational catastrophizing and negative mood state also predicted worse pain and EIH outcomes and were additionally associated with increased ratings of perceived exertion and muscle pain during exercise. Conclusions. This study provides preliminary evidence that psychosocial variables, such as the family environment and mood states, can affect both pain sensitivity and the ability to modulate pain through exercise-induced hypoalgesia.