Stress and Alterations in the Pain Matrix: A Biopsychosocial Perspective on Back Pain and Its Prevention and Treatment

Pia-Maria Wippert and Christine Wiebking
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Pia-Maria Wippert: Sociology of Health and Physical Activity, Department of Health Science, University of Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, House 12, 14469 Potsdam, Germany
Christine Wiebking: Sociology of Health and Physical Activity, Department of Health Science, University of Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, House 12, 14469 Potsdam, Germany

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-11

Abstract: The genesis of chronic pain is explained by a biopsychosocial model. It hypothesizes an interdependency between environmental and genetic factors provoking aberrant long-term changes in biological and psychological regulatory systems. Physiological effects of psychological and physical stressors may play a crucial role in these maladaptive processes. Specifically, long-term demands on the stress response system may moderate central pain processing and influence descending serotonergic and noradrenergic signals from the brainstem, regulating nociceptive processing at the spinal level. However, the underlying mechanisms of this pathophysiological interplay still remain unclear. This paper aims to shed light on possible pathways between physical (exercise) and psychological stress and the potential neurobiological consequences in the genesis and treatment of chronic pain, highlighting evolving concepts and promising research directions in the treatment of chronic pain. Two treatment forms (exercise and mindfulness-based stress reduction as exemplary therapies), their interaction, and the dose-response will be discussed in more detail, which might pave the way to a better understanding of alterations in the pain matrix and help to develop future prevention and therapeutic concepts.

Keywords: stress; allostatic load; relaxation; back pain; chronic pain; physical activity; exercise; neuroplasticity; pain matrix (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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