Are you in pain? In some cases, exercising may be as good as painkillers

Whether you often suffer from migraines, period cramps or chronic pain, exercise could help ease the symptoms in a similar way to common painkillers. Across a wide range of conditions, exercise can significantly reduce acute and chronic pain, a new study by Adelaide University has found after analysing 157 systematic reviews encompassing 2,736 randomised controlled trials and over 220,000 participants.“At a time when we’re looking for safe and effective ways to manage pain beyond medication, these findings provide strong evidence for making exercise a more routine part of pain care,” said Carol Maher, senior researcher at Adelaide University. The researchers examined how the type, intensity and duration of exercise influenced pain relief.