Physical Activity and Chronic Pain Management

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Pain Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 5

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago 8240000, Chile
Interests: chronic musculoskeletal pain; physical activity; exercise; rehabilitation; pain education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chronic musculoskeletal pain is a major public health problem worldwide and a leading cause of disability. Physical activity and exercise programs are widely recognized as effective non-pharmacological strategies for pain relief, functional improvement and improved quality of life. However, participation in physical activity remains suboptimal among people living with chronic pain due to a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue of Healthcare, which aims to explore the role of physical activity in the management of chronic musculoskeletal pain. We seek to highlight recent advances in exercise-based interventions, identify barriers and facilitators to physical activity participation, and discuss strategies for tailoring and optimizing physical activity programs in this population.

Original research articles and reviews are welcome in this Special Issue. Areas of research may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Benefits of physical activity in individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain.
  • Social and environmental barriers to physical activity in chronic pain
  • Person-centered approaches and adaptations in exercise therapy.
  • Pain science education and rehabilitation in chronic pain.
  • Lifestyle-based interventions for pain management.
  • Digital tools and technologies to support physical activity.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Rodrigo Núñez-Cortés
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • chronic musculoskeletal pain
  • physical activity
  • exercise therapy
  • social barriers
  • lifestyle interventions
  • biopsychosocial model
  • rehabilitation
  • quality of life
  • digital health
  • telerehabilitation

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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