Pain
-
Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) conditions, like fibromyalgia, are associated with widespread pain and alterations in autonomic functions. Regular physical activity prevents the development of CMP and can reduce autonomic dysfunction. We tested if there were alterations in autonomic function of sedentary mice with CMP, and whether exercise reduced the autonomic dysfunction and pain induced by CMP. ⋯ There were no sex differences after induction of the CMP in any outcome measure. We further show that both 5 days and 8 weeks of physical activity prevent the development of autonomic dysfunction and decreases in withdrawal threshold induced by CMP. Thus, this study uniquely shows the development of autonomic dysfunction in animals with chronic muscle hyperalgesia, which can be prevented with as little as 5 days of physical activity, and suggest that physical activity may prevent the development of pain and autonomic dysfunction in people with CMP.