Quantitative Sensory Testing in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pain Research
• Musculoskeletal Disorders

Background:

• Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) is increasingly recognized for its utility in analyzing musculoskeletal pain.
• Evidence suggests QST's potential role in understanding the pathogenesis, classification, diagnosis, and prognosis of chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the measurement properties of QST.
• To discuss the research and clinical applications of QST in musculoskeletal pain.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature review was conducted.
• Searched Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, and PsycINFO databases for articles on QST and musculoskeletal pain.

Main Results:

• QST correlates with neural sensitivity in musculoskeletal pain.
• No single QST instrument or protocol is clearly superior; evidence for clinical benefits in outcome prediction and pain subtyping is emerging.
• Threshold detection testing shows moderate reliability; intensity/magnitude rating may be more clinically useful for pain assessment.

Conclusions:

• Musculoskeletal pain management could benefit from treatment algorithms incorporating neurophysiological correlates identified by QST.
• Non-invasive QST can reveal altered nociceptive processes.
• A diverse range of reliable QST tests may be necessary to address the varied etiopathogenesis of musculoskeletal pain disorders.