Hoffman brought to the study his own experience with a very painful scratch on his eye. He found that cross-country skiing and running helped temporarily reduce the pain in his eye, leading him to believe the pain was connected to the whole body and exercising it would help. In his research with chronic back pain sufferers, the same proved true. And, he says, it supports the idea that aerobic exercise may help relieve other painful conditions such as fibromyalgia, a nerve and muscle disorder. And, he adds, the release of endorphins during exercise may be an explanation, although neither he nor Hoffman can draw that conclusion from this particular study.
Endorphins are natural pain relievers produced by the body.
One of the big issues with chronic pain is it's so difficult to manage and such a costly problem. He hopes studies such as Hoffman's will lead to nonpharmacological alternatives. To Do Chronic back pain sufferers shouldn't just go out and jump on a bike, says Buser. But, what you experience later on is what's important. If riding makes them feel better 30 minutes after, but the next day they can't get out of bed, you have to question the effectiveness of the form of treatment.