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Exercise for chronic musculoskeletal pain: time to prescribe with precision

  • Nitin Kumar Arora
  • , Lars Donath
  • , Clint T Miller
  • , Patrick J Owen
  • , Christopher Neason
  • , Evert ALM Verhagen
  • , Nash Anderson
  • , Yorgi Mavros
  • , Amy Harwood
  • , Nicola Sewry
  • , Daniel L Belavy

Publication: Contribution to journalJournal articlesResearch

Abstract

proximately 1.7billion people worldwide live with musculoskeletal (MSK) pain,1
contributing to a high socioeconomic burden exceeding €250billion in Europe2
and US$180billion in the USA.3 Beyond financial
costs, individuals experience lost productivity, early retirement and reduced social well-being due to limitations in mobility and participation in society.4
Current clinical practice guidelines emphasise nonpharmacological and non-surgical treatments for managing chronic MSK conditions like back pain, neck pain and osteoarthritis.5 Among these, exercise-based treatment options are inexpensive, easily accessible and induce small-to-moderate yet clinically
relevant improvements in chronic MSK pain disorders.6 Improvements observed with exercise training can be comparable to, or even exceed, those achieved with other conservative interventions such as manual therapy, education, electrophysical and psychological therapies.6 7 Despite the recognised benefits of exercise training, the translation of research into clinical practice is impaired by ongoing deficiencies in study reporting, as evidenced in our recent umbrella review
Original languageEnglish
Article numberIF 2023: 3.9 19/127
JournalBMJ open sport & exercise medicine
Volume2025
Issue number11
ISSN2055-7647
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 10.11.2025

Citation