title: Higher pain sensitivity and lower muscle strength in postmenonpausal women with early rheumatoid arthritis compared with age-matched healthy women--a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study was to examine muscle strength and pain sensitivity in postmenopausal women with and without RA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten women with and ten without early RA were recruited. All were postmenopausal, and did not use hormone replacement therapy. Measurements of isokinetic muscle strength in knee flexors/extensors, hand grip strength, timed standing, pressure pain thresholds (PPT), suprathreshold pressure pain, and segmental and plurisegmental endogenous pain inhibitory mechanisms during muscle contraction were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants with early RA were weaker in knee flexors, in hand grip strength and they needed more time for the timed standing. Women with early RA had higher sensitivity to threshold pain and suprathreshold pressure pain compared to women without RA. PPTs increased in the contracting muscle as well as in a distant resting muscle during static contractions in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate differences in muscular strength between postmenopausal women with and without RA. Furthermore, women with RA had decreased PPT and hyperalgesia, but no dysfunction of segmental or plurisegmental pain inhibitory mechanisms during static exercise compared to healthy controls. The normal function of endogenous pain inhibitory mechanisms despite chronic pain in women with RA might contribute to the good effects of physical activity previously reported.
authors: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Cecilia.friden@ki.se
authors: Cecilia
authors: C
authors: Fridén
authors: Ulrika
authors: U
authors: Thoors
authors: Birgitta
authors: B
authors: Glenmark
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Kosek
authors: Birgitta
authors: B
authors: Nordmark
authors: Ingrid E
authors: IE
authors: Lundberg
authors: Christina H
authors: CH
authors: Opava
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017698:Postmenopause