title: Pain pressure threshold values in ankylosing spondylitis.
abstract: Rheumatic patients experience persistent and disabling pain. We aimed to investigate the pain pressure threshold (PPT) values in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients compared to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and healthy subjects. The relationship between lumbar and thoracal Schober, chin-to-chest distance, occiput-to-wall distance, finger-to-floor distance, chest expansion, and pain scores were also evaluated in an AS group. Our study group consisted of 17 AS patients, 20 RA patients, and 21 healthy volunteers. Eighteen tender points accepted by the American College of Rheumatism (ACR) for fibromyalgia syndrome evaluation in 1990 and three control points were evaluated with Fischer's tissue compliance meter, which can also be used as an algometer. Fourteen paravertebral points were evaluated, and mean values of paravertebral myalgic scores were recorded in the AS group. Our data indicate that AS patients do not have lower PPT with respect to healthy individuals, whereas RA patients have significantly lower PPT. A significant correlation was obtained between finger-to-floor distance and paravertebral myalgic score for AS. We conclude that AS does not have a widespread pain nature as RA.
authors.affiliation: Ankara State Education and Research Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara, Turkey. nincel@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Nurgül Arinci
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Incel
authors.forename: H Rana
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Erdem
authors.forename: Salih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozgocmen
authors.forename: Sema Atalay
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Catal
authors.forename: Z Rezan
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Yorgancioglu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D017288:Pain Threshold; D011312:Pressure; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*