Muscle endurance, muscle tension and personality traits in patients with muscle or joint pain--a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationships between personality traits, depressive symptomatology and continuous muscle tension.


METHODS
These were investigated by means of a visual analog scale and the presence of continuous muscle tension during repeated isokinetic shoulder flexions in patients with muscle or joint pain and controls.


RESULTS
A significantly higher level of muscle tension between contractions was found in the patient groups in painful muscles. The patients with primary fibromyalgia and trapezius myalgia differed in degree of depressive symptomatology compared to controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Inhibition of aggression correlated significantly with the tension level between contractions during the isokinetic test indicating interaction between psychological and somatic factors.
Elert
J
J
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Umeå, Sweden.
Dahlqvist
S R
SR
Almay
B
B
Eisemann
M
M
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D009132:Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D010146:Pain; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010551:Personality; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010807:Physical Endurance; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires