Exercise in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

Exercise is a first-line treatment for chronic musculoskeletal pain, and staying active is safe and beneficial even when movement is uncomfortable.

Chronic pain is pain that persists or recurs for more than 3 months. In the musculoskeletal system it includes chronic low back and neck pain, chronic widespread pain and fibromyalgia, and the pain of conditions such as osteoarthritis.

Supervised, graded activity improves function, mood, sleep and confidence, whereas rest, avoidance and long-term painkillers tend to make matters worse. UK practice has moved away from imaging, opioids and a purely biomedical view towards a biopsychosocial approach built on exercise, education and self-management.