The addition of thoracic mobilization to aerobic exercise did not alter autonomic function and pain pressure threshold acutely in asymptomatic young people: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the influence of acute aerobic exercise (AE) plus thoracic mobilization in pain perception and autonomic nervous system response in healthy adults.

Design: Randomized clinical trial.

Methods: Forty-eight asymptomatic adults were allocated into one of three groups: 1) Aerobic Exercise (AE), 2) Aerobic Exercise + Mobilization (AE + M), and 3) Placebo. Participants from groups AE and AE + M ran for 5 min on a treadmill with a 75-85% of age-predicted heart rate. Participants from AE + M group also received a rotatory thoracic passive accessory intervertebral mobilization at T4 after running. Participants from the Placebo group received placebo mobilization. We mesured the autonomic system modulation through Heart Rate Variability (HRV) (time-domain, frequency-domain, and non-linear variables). We measured Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) with a handheld digital algometer.

Results: While aerobic exercise increased the sympathetic outflow and reduced the HRV, the addition of vertebral mobilization to exercise had no further effect on autonomic system modulation. There was no change in PPT in any group. Besides, there was no correlation between HRV and PPT.

Conclusion: Thoracic mobilization did not increase the sympathetic response induced by aerobic exercise. Moreover, exercise alone or exercise plus thoracic mobilization did not change the PPT.

Keywords: Aerobic exercise; Autonomic nervous system; Intervertebral mobilization; Pressure pain threshold.