Joseph on the Effects of Resistance Training on Fatigue and Pain in Multiple Myeloma

“We’re excited about the fatigue and the pain [improvements], and we’re also excited to get the message out that future trials need to focus not just on what can be done during the period of the trial, but on how we can make these changes durable.”

Janine Joseph, MS, MBA, senior research specialist, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses findings from studies investigating the effects of resistance training interventions on fatigue and pain levels in patients with multiple myeloma.

A combined analysis of 2 studies evaluating the effects of supervised resistance training interventions in patients with multiple myeloma demonstrated significant improvements in fatigue and pain, Joseph begins. These interventions consisted of twice-weekly, 1-hour, whole-body resistance training sessions, which were conducted either in person or remotely by physical trainers, she explains. Notably, patients experienced a reduction in fatigue from baseline to the end of the intervention period. However, their fatigue returned to baseline levels once the intervention was discontinued, suggesting that ongoing participation in resistance training is necessary to maintain its benefit, she explains.

Pain outcomes were also improved through resistance training, particularly in the in-person supervised resistance training cohort, and these pain reductions persisted even after the intervention ended, Joseph notes. Overall, these study findings are significant for patients with multiple myeloma, as fatigue and pain are key factors affecting their quality of life, she emphasizes.

In contrast, patients who engaged in an unsupervised home-based walking intervention, which involved wearing a step tracker and being encouraged to gradually increase their active minutes daily, did not experience significant improvements in fatigue, pain, or other measured outcomes. Furthermore, across all intervention groups, investigators did not see significant changes in anxiety or depression levels.

These findings highlight the importance of supervised resistance training as an effective intervention for fatigue and pain management, and simultaneously emphasize the need for sustainable strategies to maintain these benefits beyond the intervention period, she reports. Future research should focus on identifying ways to prolong these positive effects, Joseph concludes.