Impact of isometric exercise on pain management in acute and chronic sports injuries: A systematic review

Abstract

Background

Isometric exercises have become one of the most widely used exercise intervention methods in the rehabilitation process of sports injuries, particularly in pain management. The use of isometric exercises is growing due to their ability to provide analgesic effects while maintaining muscle strength during the injury recovery phase.

Objectives

This systematic review aims to analyze the effect, mechanism of action and effectiveness of isometric exercises in managing pain in acute and chronic sports injuries based on the latest scientific findings.

Methods

This study was organized based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, with article searches through the Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science (WOS), and PubMed databases. A total of 8 articles were selected based on the inclusion criteria focusing on the use of isometric exercises in sports injury pain management.

Results

The results of the review showed that isometric exercises are able to provide short-term analgesic effects through the mechanisms of central pain modulation, increased pain threshold, and inhibition of nociceptive input. In addition, isometric exercises also play a role in maintaining muscle strength, preventing atrophy, and supporting the rehabilitation process without overloading the injured tissues. However, the effectiveness of isometric exercises is highly dependent on the dose, frequency, duration, injury site and individual response. Strong evidence supports its effectiveness in cases of tendinopathy, whereas in acute injuries such as muscle strains or ankle sprain it still requires further research.

Conclusion

This review confirms that isometric exercises have an important role in pain management and rehabilitation of sports injuries, especially in the early phase of recovery. Expectations for future research are the need for studies with more robust experimental designs, involving a more diverse population of athletes, measurement of more specific pain biomarker parameters, as well as long-term exploration of the effects of isometric exercise on the prevention of recurrent injuries and return to optimal sports performance.