European journal of pain : EJP
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Previous research demonstrates that men and women differ in the way that they perceive and process pain. Much of this work has been done in healthy adults with a lack of consensus in clinical pain populations. The purpose of this study was to investigate how men and women with shoulder pain differ in their experience of experimental and clinical pain and whether psychological processes differentially affect these responses. ⋯ There were no sex differences in psychological association with experimental and clinical pain in this cohort. The relationship between clinical and experimental pressure pain was stronger in women as compared to men. These findings offer insight into the interactions between biological and psychosocial influences of pain and how these interactions vary by sex.
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This investigation aimed to quantify and compare sensory responses to hypertonic saline-induced pain in the tendoachilles and the common extensor tendon of the elbow. Healthy subjects (n=14; seven males) received in randomised order, injections of sterile saline (0.5ml, 5.8% hypertonic or 0.9% isotonic saline) at each tendon bilaterally at two sessions separated by one week. Mechanical sensitivity (pressure pain threshold), muscle pain intensity (visual analogue scale; VAS area-under-curve, pain duration, peak pain) and pain distribution were assessed pre, immediately after and post saline injection. ⋯ Significant maximal force attenuation occurred immediately after hypertonic saline injections in both tendons (P<0.001) compared with control injections. The greater induced deep tissue pain and hyperalgesia demonstrated at tendoachilles compared with the common extensor tendon may relate to anatomical differences such as higher nociceptor density or increased vascular perfusion at the injection site. This translational tendon pain model may contribute to the further understanding of pain mechanisms in tendinopathic conditions.