Extended pain makes exercise challenging for some MS patients

For MS patients, a regular exercise routine is important for symptom management. However, due to different causes of chronic pain, physical activity can be more difficult for some.

Research published in Journal of Pain from the University of Michigan found that widespread pain with nosoplastic features, also known as WPNF, can make physical activity a chore for some MS patients.

WPNF is a chronic and pervasive pain that can be difficult to diagnose or accurately describe.”

Libak Abou, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor and lead author of the paper

“In a person with multiple sclerosis, this type of pain results from altered signal processing within the central nervous system. This is in contrast to pain resulting from specific tissue damage, which is classified as nociceptive pain or pain associated with demyelination and axonal damage, classified as neuropathic pain.”

Abou and the other researchers looked at MS patients to see if those with a higher WPNF score were more likely to be insufficiently active or sedentary compared to their MS counterparts without chronic pain, nociceptive pain, or neuropathic pain . Each of the participants self-reported their data.

The results of the survey showed that those who developed WPNF in addition to MS were not sufficiently active because of the chronic pain they were experiencing.

“There is a growing need to look at the type of pain MS patients are experiencing before giving them an exercise program,” Abou said. “The idea of ​​considering WPNF when creating MS exercise plans is newer, but it could help many patients reach a level of activity that will help relieve symptoms without causing them severe pain.”

For the future, Abou hopes that clinicians can begin testing for underlying pain mechanisms in MS patients who struggle to stay active to help further tailor their physical routines to their individual needs.

“The ultimate goal is to help people with multiple sclerosis maintain their functional independence,” Abou said. “It’s also important to remember that these patients will likely need additional support from their physical therapy team to keep them on a path with less pain.”

Additional authors: Libak Abou, Daniel Whibley, and Anna L. Kratz from the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI and the Institute for Health Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI . Daniel J. Clauw from the Department of Anesthesiology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.