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Pain-evoked trunk muscle activity changes during fatigue and DOMS
L H Larsen1,2, R P Hirata1, T Graven-Nielsen1
1Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), SMI, Aalborg University, Denmark.
European Journal of Pain (London, England)
|January 21, 2017
Summary
Muscle pain from delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) significantly alters trunk muscle activity more than fatigue. Bilateral pain amplifies back muscle responses, while unilateral pain attenuates them, impacting stability during perturbations.
Area of Science:
- Neuromuscular control
- Exercise physiology
- Pain science
Background:
- Muscle pain can alter trunk muscle activity, but its interaction with exercise-induced muscle fatigue and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) requires clarification.
- Understanding these interactions is crucial for managing musculoskeletal conditions and optimizing rehabilitation strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the differential effects of fatigue and DOMS on trunk muscle activity during unpredictable surface perturbations.
- To compare the impact of unilateral and bilateral low back pain (LBP) on muscle responses under these conditions.
Main Methods:
- Nineteen healthy participants underwent controlled low back pain induction using hypertonic saline.
- Trunk muscle activity was recorded during multi-directional surface perturbations under conditions of muscle fatigue (Day 1) and DOMS (Day 2).
- Electromyographic (EMG) signals were analyzed to quantify changes in back and abdominal muscle activity (Delta-RMS-EMG) relative to baseline.
Main Results:
- Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) resulted in higher pain intensity and larger pain distribution areas compared to fatigue.
- Back muscle activity (Delta-RMS-EMG) increased during bilateral pain and decreased during unilateral pain, with these effects being more pronounced in the DOMS condition.
- Abdominal muscle activity showed no significant changes across conditions.
Conclusions:
- Exercise-induced muscle soreness, particularly DOMS, leads to more pronounced alterations in trunk muscle responses to perturbations than fatigue.
- The findings highlight the differential impact of pain intensity and distribution on neuromuscular control, with bilateral pain facilitating and unilateral pain attenuating back muscle activity.
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