title: Pro-nociceptive and anti-nociceptive effects of a conditioned pain modulation protocol in participants with chronic low back pain and healthy control subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  People with chronic pain may exhibit pro-nociceptive phenotypes characterised partly by reduced conditioned pain modulation (CPM). Characterising variability in CPM in people with chronic low back pain (CLBP) may inform management.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate pro/anti-nociceptive effects of a CPM protocol in age/sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) and people with CLBP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-controlled trial (64 participants/group).
  
  
  METHODS
  The CPM protocol involved: test stimulus (TS) (noxious pressure applied by algometer to lumbar region); conditioning stimulus (CS) (noxious heat applied by thermode to dorsal hand). CPM recruitment was measured by the change in pain intensity (rated on a numeric rating scale (NRS)) of the TS in the presence and absence of the CS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Responses to this CPM protocol were variable for both groups with measures consistent with either inhibitory or facilitatory effects. A significantly greater proportion of facilitatory responses were seen in the CLBP cohort compared to HCs (73% versus 31%). In response to the CS, participants with CLBP demonstrated a mean increase in NRS scores (mean 1.3 points; p < 0.001), while HCs did not (mean -0.2 points; p = 0.35) and the between-group difference in change scores was significant (mean 1.4 points; p < 0.001; effect size (Hedges' g): 1.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In HCs and participants with CLBP this CPM protocol elicited responses consistent with varying pro/anti-nociceptive effects. The higher proportion of participants with CLBP demonstrating a facilitatory response suggests a pro-nociceptive phenotype may characterise this cohort.
authors: School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia. Electronic address: martin.rabey@curtin.edu.au.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Rabey
authors: School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia. Electronic address: cheryl_poon@ymail.com.
authors: Cheryl
authors: C
authors: Poon
authors: School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia. Electronic address: wrayano@gmail.com.
authors: Jonathan
authors: J
authors: Wray
authors: School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia. Electronic address: som_nmm@hotmail.com.
authors: Chutiporn
authors: C
authors: Thamajaree
authors: School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia. Electronic address: ryan@maddingtonphysio.com.
authors: Ryan
authors: R
authors: East
authors: School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia. Electronic address: H.Slater@curtin.edu.au.
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Slater
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D059350:Chronic Pain; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D059226:Nociceptive Pain; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Chronic low back pain; Conditioned pain modulation; Palpation; Pro-nociceptive