Exercise lowers pain threshold in chronic fatigue syndrome.
Post-exertional muscle pain is an important reason for disability in patients who are diagnosed to have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). We compared changes in pain threshold in five CFS patients with five age and sex matched controls following graded exercise. Pain thresholds, measured in the skin web between thumb and index finger, increased in control subjects with exercise while it decreased in the CFS subjects. Increased perception of pain and/or fatigue after exercise may be indicative of a dysfunction of the central anti-nociceptive mechanism in CFS patients.
Whiteside
Alan
A
Departments of Clinical Physics, Institute of Neurological Sciences, South Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust, Glasgow, UK Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, South Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust, 1345 Govan Road, Glasgow G51 4TF, UK.
Hansen
Stig
S
Chaudhuri
Abhijit
A
D000328:Adult; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics