Exercise-induced hypoalgesia and pain reduction following blood flow restriction: A brief review

Abstract

Objective: To review past literature regarding exercise-induced hypoalgesia and pain reduction following blood flow restriction interventions, and to discuss potential mechanisms as well as future considerations towards the efficacy of blood flow restriction in pain reduction following exercise.

Methods: To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to include acute exercise, or long-term training interventions, with blood flow restriction, along with including pre and post intervention pain measurements.

Results: A total of 13 studies met the inclusion criteria. Among these 13 studies, 3 studies examined exercise-induced hypoalgesia after an acute bout of resistance exercise with blood flow restriction, and 10 studies investigated pain reduction following long-term blood flow restriction training.

Conclusions: Existing literature suggests that low load resistance exercise with blood flow restriction may serve as an effective pain management method for those who are unable or unwilling to train with high loads. Several potential mechanisms have been suggested, however, the roles of these mechanisms are still unclear and require further clarification. Future research should consider implementing different methods of blood flow restriction application, and research study design to clarify the utility and efficacy of blood flow restriction as a pain management tool, by itself or in combination with exercise.

Keywords: Blood flow restriction; Hypoalgesia; Pain reduction; Resistance exercise.