Association Between Types of Pain and Motor Activities Physical Activity

Association Between Types of Pain and Motor Activities Physical Activity in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury

This study will investigate the relationships between: (1) physical activity (PA) and types of chronic pain (nociceptive and neuropathic), and (2) virtual reality (VR) and types of chronic pain (nociceptive and neuropathic).

Chronic pain can be differentiated by its underlying mechanisms. However, this important distinction is not applied to most non-pharmacological treatment approaches. Studies that have shown modulation of chronic pain with physical activity (PA) or virtual reality (VR) have not evaluated differential effects on nociceptive and neuropathic pain. Therefore, it is unknown if neuropathic pain and nociceptive pain respond differently to PA and VR, and if treatment could be optimized through targeted interventions or a combination of interventions. Understanding the relationships between different types of pain and motor activity will provide new insight to inform future recommendations to alter PA levels for pain modulation.

A prospective, cohort design will be employed for this study of individuals with SCI for a duration of one week in the community. This study will identify trends that are different between the responses of different types of pain and motor activities (i.e., PA and VR). The data obtained will also capture fluctuations in PA levels across participants and corresponding pain levels because PA levels will be collected through real-world data in the community.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of spinal cord injury (SCI) (at least six months post-SCI)
• Experienced chronic pain for a duration of at least 6 months
• Functionally able to self-propel a manual wheelchair
• Medically stable

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of motion sickness or epilepsy
• Condition in which PA is medically contraindicated