A recent study has found that staying active may help ease ongoing cancer pain. The study, conducted by a team led by Erika Rees-Punia of the American Cancer Society and Christopher Swain of the University of Melbourne in Australia, looked at over 10,600 people with a history of cancer and more than 51,000 without the disease. Participants were asked about their usual physical activity and pain levels, and the study found that greater physical activity was linked to less severe pain among both groups.
The study also found that participants who met the U.S. guidelines for physical activity were 16 percent less likely to report moderate to severe pain compared to those who did not meet the guidelines. Additionally, the researchers found that participants who were consistently active or who became active in older adulthood reported less pain than people who remained inactive.
The findings, published in the journal Cancer, suggest that physical activity could provide an analgesic benefit, particularly for cancer-related pain. Erika Rees-Punia noted that while it may seem counterintuitive to some, physical activity is an effective, non-pharmacological option for reducing many types of pain, including pain associated with cancer and its treatment.
The study’s results indicate that it’s never too late to start being physically active, as participants who became active in late adulthood reported less pain than those who remained inactive. The researchers hope that these findings will encourage people, including those with a cancer diagnosis, to incorporate more physical activity into their daily lives.
For more information about dealing with cancer pain, the American Cancer Society offers resources and support. The study was published in the Feb. 12 issue of the journal Cancer.