Increasing physical activity may lessen pain intensity for those having lived with cancer

February 2024

For cancer survivors, chronic pain is a potential long-lasting side effect of cancer treatment that can negatively impact quality of life. It is one of the most common symptoms reported by people who are living with cancer or have completed treatment, with about 55% of people undergoing treatment and 40% of people who have completed treatment reporting pain[1]. Studies have shown that people who are more physically active are less likely to experience pain compared to those who are less active[2].

A recent study published in Cancer found that cancer survivors who perform more physical activity, or who increase their activity, may experience less pain than those who consistently perform less physical activity.

For the study, the researchers analysed data from the Cancer Prevention Study II to evaluate the potential connections between physical activity and pain in adults with and without a cancer history. Data from 51,439 adults without a cancer history and 10,651 adults with a cancer history were included.

Moderate to vigorous physical activity were determined by participants’ self-reporting. Pain intensity was assessed using a numeric pain rating scale.

Moderate intensity physical activity is any activity that will raise your heart rate, make you breathe faster, and feel warmer. Generally speaking, you can do moderate intensity activities and still talk, some examples include: brisk walking, riding your bike on level ground with few hills.

Vigorous intensity physical activity is any activity where you are breathing hard and fast, and your heart rate has gone up. You typically cannot hold a conversation while doing vigorous intensity activities. Examples include jumping rope, swimming, running.

Study findings

Meeting or going beyond physical activity guidelines was associated with less pain intensity compared to being physically inactive. The relationship between physical activity and pain intensity did not differ significantly for people with a history of cancer compared to people with no cancer history.

An important finding from the study was that people who were inactive and became active reported less pain that people who remained inactive. This underlines the benefit of increasing physical activity after cancer, and points to the importance of discovering strategies to stay active after a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Below you will find Canadian physical activity guidelines. If you have been diagnosed with cancer and are undergoing treatment, talk to your healthcare team about how to safely integrate physical activity into your routine.

See our Tush Talk “The Role of Physical Activity Before, During and After Treatment” for more information: https://youtu.be/0MWGUXtNmSw?si=tNm2G0RVyWONMsxY

Visit the Participaction website for more general resources on physical activity: https://www.participaction.com/the-science/benefits-and-guidelines/adults-18-to-64/

[1] van den Beuken MH, van Everdingen MH, Hochstenbach LM, Joosten EA, Tjan-Heijnen VC, Janssen DJ. Update on prevalence of pain in patients with cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2016; 51(6): 1070-1090. doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2015.12.340

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5461882/