title: [Psychogenic muscular activity as a risk factor of muscular pain].
abstract: Recent research indicates that any continuous load on the shoulder and upper limb muscles is a risk factor for occupational muscle pain. When the muscle load is moderate to low, the duration seems far more important than the actual load level, possibly because of a fixed recruitment order of motor units. Research at the Norwegian National Institute of Occupational Health has shown that a mentally challenging task at a visual display terminal may give a low level of muscle activation with apparently no purpose as regards posture or movement ("psychogenic" muscle tension), based on continuous firing in a few motor units. This indicates a possible mechanism for the often observed link between psychosocial stress and muscle pain.
authors.affiliation: Arbeidsfysiologisk seksjon, Statens arbeidsmiljøinstitutt, Oslo.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Waersted
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Westgaard
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors
vernacular_title: Psykogen muskelaktivitet som risikofaktor for muskelsmerte.