Phone Therapy And Exercise Best For Chronic Pain Relief

Got pain? Do the exercise, and take the call. Medpage Today reports that researchers at Britain’s universities of Aberdeen and Manchester have concluded that 1.) exercise is a good way to reduce chronic pain, and 2.) telephone-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) reduces it even more.  How much more? The researchers found that exercise increased the benefit of usual pain management care four-fold, and weekly phone calls for therapy delivered a five-fold increase in benefit. Medpage Today reports that the researchers put 442 patients with chronic, widespread pain in one of four groups: telephone-based cognitive behavioral therapy, an exercise intervention, a combination of the two, or regular care. CBT patients had seven weekly sessions of 30 to 45 minutes each, along with sessions at three and six months after randomization. The exercise intervention involved six instructor-led monthly appointments, along with at-leisure gym access. On non-gym days, they were advised to engage in everyday activities such as walking. After six months, 37 percent of patients who did exercise and received phone calls reported a positive outcome; 35 percent of those who just did exercise reported a positive outcome; and 30 percent of those who just got phone calls reported a positive outcome. Read more in Medpage Today.