• David M Klyne, G Lorimer Moseley, Michele Sterling, Mary F Barbe, and Paul W Hodges.
• The University of Queensland, NHMRC Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Spinal Pain, Injury and Health, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Brisbane, Australia.
• J Pain. 2018 Aug 1; 19 (8): 942.e1-942.e18.

AbstractGeneralized hyperalgesia and impaired pain modulation are reported in chronic low back pain (LBP). Few studies have tested whether these features are present in the acute phase. This study aimed to test for differences in pain presentation in early-acute LBP and evaluate the potential contribution of other factors to variation in sensitivity. Individuals within 2 weeks of onset of acute LBP (n = 126) and pain-free controls (n = 74) completed questionnaires related to their pain, disability, behavior, and psychological status before undergoing conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and pain threshold (heat, cold, and pressure) testing at the back and forearm/thumb. LBP participants were more sensitive to heat and cold at both sites and pressure at the back than controls, without differences in CPM. Only those with high-pain (numeric rating scale ≥4) were more sensitive to heat at the forearm and pressure at the back. Four subgroups with distinct features were identified: "high sensitivity," "low CPM efficacy," "high sensitivity/low CPM efficacy," and "low sensitivity/high CPM efficacy." Various factors such as sleep and alcohol were associated with each pain measure. Results provide evidence for generalized hyperalgesia in many, but not all, individuals during acute LBP, with variation accounted for by several factors. Specific pain phenotypes provide candidate features to test in longitudinal studies of LBP outcome.Copyright © 2018 The American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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