• Pain Med · Dec 2019

    Widespread Pressure Pain Hypersensitivity, Health History, and Trigger Points in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain: A Preliminary Study.

    • Matteo Castaldo, Antonella Catena, César Fernández-de-Las-Peñas, and Lars Arendt-Nielsen.
    • Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), SMI, Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
    • Pain Med. 2019 Dec 1; 20 (12): 2516-2527.

    BackgroundPain sensitivity in chronic neck pain patients may be influenced by health conditions related to higher levels of widespread pressure pain hypersensitivity (sensitization). Trigger points have also been reported to play a role in the sensitization process.ObjectivesTo investigate the association between pressure pain thresholds, trigger points, and health conditions in patients with chronic neck pain.DesignOriginal research, preliminary study.SettingA private clinic.SubjectsThirty-four chronic mechanical neck pain patients and 34 chronic whiplash-associated neck pain patients, giving a final sample of 68 chronic neck pain patients.MethodsPatients underwent an assessment of pressure pain thresholds over the upper trapezius, extensor carpi radialis longus, and tibialis anterior muscles and were screened for the presence of trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle. Further, information about health history conditions was obtained and collected in a form.ResultsSignificantly negative correlations between all pressure pain thresholds and duration of health history conditions were found (all P < 0.02). Significantly lower pressure pain thresholds (all P < 0.01) were found in patients with active trigger points as compared with those with latent trigger points.ConclusionWidespread pressure pain hypersensitivity was associated with duration of health history conditions, suggesting that long-lasting health complaints may act as a triggering/perpetuating factor, driving sensitization in individuals with chronic neck pain. Active trigger points may be associated with higher widespread pressure hypersensitivity.© 2019 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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