Neural Mechanisms of Exercise-Induced Pain Relief

Physical activity and exercise not only enhance physical fitness, mental health, and quality of life, but also play a critical role in preventing and improving chronic pain. A key phenomenon in this context is exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH), robustly demonstrated in healthy individuals, people with chronic pain, and animal models. EIH reflects the capacity of acute or repeated exercise to reduce pain sensitivity, yet its underlying mechanisms remain only partially understood. Emerging work points to complex interactions between molecular and cellular factors—such as anti-inflammatory cytokines, serotonin, orexin, endogenous opioids, ion channels, neuronal Ca²⁺ sensors, and myokines—and distributed brain systems. This Research Topic, grounded in Pain Research Methods, aims to advance mechanistic and methodological understanding of how exercise shapes nociception and pain modulation, ultimately informing more effective, non-pharmacological strategies for pain relief.This Research Topic, “Neural mechanisms of exercise-induced pain relief,” seeks to clarify how exercise modulates pain across molecular, cellular, systems, and behavioral levels. We aim to address key gaps in the field, including: how specific signaling pathways and immune mediators contribute to EIH; how neuromodulators (e.g., serotonin, orexin, endogenous opioids) interact with ion channels and neuronal Ca²⁺ sensors; and how myokines and peripheral signals communicate with central pain-processing networks. A central focus is on brain circuits implicated in EIH, including reward-related and mesocorticolimbic systems, as well as descending pain modulatory pathways.We especially welcome studies that use rigorous experimental designs, advanced imaging, neural circuit interrogation, quantitative behavioral assessment, and computational or machine learning approaches to define EIH mechanisms in both humans and animals. Another key goal is to uncover how negative emotions—such as anxiety, fear, and aversion—interfere with EIH, and to delineate the neuronal substrates of this interaction. By integrating multimodal methods across preclinical and clinical domains, this Research Topic aims to refine mechanistic models of exercise-induced pain relief and support translation into targeted, exercise-based interventions for chronic pain.Scope and Information for AuthorsWe invite submissions that focus on methods and mechanistic studies related to exercise-induced pain relief and EIH, including but not limited to: Original Research, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Perspectives, Opinions, Systematic Reviews, Meta-analyses, and well-documented Case Reports with strong methodological components.Submissions may address, for example:- Molecular and cellular mechanisms of EIH (cytokines, chemokines, neuromodulators, ion channels, myokines, neuronal Ca²⁺ sensors)- Neural circuits and brain systems underlying EIH (reward, mesocorticolimbic, and descending pain modulatory pathways)- Human and animal imaging or neurophysiological methods applied to exercise-induced pain modulation- Experimental models and protocols for inducing and quantifying EIH in humans and animals- Objective markers and biomarkers of EIH and exercise-related pain modulation- Interactions between negative affect (anxiety, fear, aversion) and neural mechanisms of EIH- Methodological innovations in clinical trial designs for exercise-based pain interventionsContributions should clearly emphasize pain research methods and mechanistic insight, aligning with the Pain Research Methods section while keeping EIH and neural mechanisms as the central organizing theme. Topic editors: Katsuya Kami, Keiichiro Okamoto Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77250/neural-mechanisms-of-exercise-induced-pain-relief