• Dan Buskila, Lily Neumann, Smadar Malkin, and Isaac Levi.
• Department of Medicine, Soroka Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel. dbuskila@bgu.ac.il
• Obes Surg. 2005 Oct 1;15(9):1243-6.

BackgroundA previous study reported an association between obesity and increased tenderness. However, the effect of weight reduction on tenderness is not known. The aim of the study was to assess tenderness thresholds before and after bariatric surgery.Methods42 obese women were evaluated for tenderness before and 6 months after bariatric surgery. A count of 18 tender points at 9 symmetrical sites was performed by thumb palpation. 13 point sites (9 tender point sites and 4 control sites) were further studied using a dolorimeter.ResultsThe obese subjects displayed increased tenderness before surgery and its level did not change 6 months later. The mean tender point count before surgery was 8.8+/-3.9 and after surgery was 8.3+/-4.3 (P=0.500). The mean tenderness thresholds at nine tender points were 4.0+/-1.1 and 3.8+/-1.1, respectively (P=0.247).ConclusionNonarticular tenderness in obese women remained high after weight reduction. These findings are relevant to physicians taking care of obese patients. Further studies are needed to elucidate the relationship between weight reduction and pain thresholds.

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