Exercise may ease back pain by rewiring the brain, small study suggests

NCT ID NCT07480460

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: McGill University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether 14 weeks of supervised exercise (aerobic and resistance training) could reduce chronic low back pain in 57 adults. Researchers looked at changes in brain connectivity and immune-related gene activity to understand how exercise might relieve pain. The goal was to see if these biological changes explain why some people feel less pain after exercising.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: supervised physical exercise training
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward a non-drug treatment for chronic low back pain by showing how exercise changes the brain and immune system.
What could go wrong: This is a small, completed mechanistic study, not a large trial. Results may not apply to everyone with back pain, and exercise may not work for all types of pain.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Back Pain Chronic Pain Inflammation Motor Activity

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

CHRONIC LOW-BACK PAIN (CLBP)

Contacts and locations

Locations

Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal

Montreal, Quebec, H3W 1W4, Canada

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