Single-point but not tonic cuff pressure pain sensitivity is associated with level of physical fitness--a study of non-athletic healthy subjects.
Exercise is often used for pain rehabilitation but the link between physical activity level and pain sensitivity is still not fully understood. Pressure pain sensitivity to cuff algometry and conditioned pain modulation (CPM) were evaluated in highly active men (n=22), normally active men (n=26), highly active women (n=27) and normally active women (n=23) based on the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire. Cuff pressure pain sensitivity was assessed at the arm and lower leg. The subjects scored the pain intensity on an electronic Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) during ten minutes with 25 kPa constant cuff pressure and two minutes with zero pressure. The maximal VAS score and area under the VAS-curve were extracted. Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) were recorded by manual pressure algometry on the ipsilateral tibialis anterior muscle before, during and after the tonic arm stimulation. Tonic cuff stimulation of the arm and leg resulted in higher VAS peak scores in women compared with men (p<0.04). In all groups the PPTs were reduced during and after the cuff stimulation compared with baseline (p=0.001). PPT were higher in men compared with women (p=0.03) and higher in highly physical active compared with normal active (p=0.048). Besides the well-known gender difference in pressure pain sensitivity this study demonstrates that a high physical fitness degree in non-athletic subjects is associated with increased pressure pain thresholds but does not affect cuff pressure pain sensitivity in healthy people.
Department of Pain and Rehabilitation Center and Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
Dag
D
Lemming
Department of Pain and Rehabilitation Center and Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
Björn
B
Börsbo
Department of Pain and Rehabilitation Center and Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
Anna
A
Sjörs
Department of Pain and Rehabilitation Center and Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
Eva-Britt
EB
Lind
Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Laboratory for Experimental Pain Research, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark.
Lars
L
Arendt-Nielsen
Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Laboratory for Experimental Pain Research, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark.
Thomas
T
Graven-Nielsen
Department of Pain and Rehabilitation Center and Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
Björn
B
Gerdle
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019540:Area Under Curve; D056352:Athletes; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011312:Pressure; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult