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Visually induced analgesia in a deep tissue experimental pain model: A randomised crossover experiment
M J van Selm1, W I Gibson1, M J Travers1,2
1School of Physiotherapy, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Australia.
European Journal of Pain (London, England)
|April 21, 2018
Summary
Magnifying a painful body part intensifies pain, while simply viewing it does not. This study used delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) to explore visual pain modulation, suggesting varied effects across pain types.
Area of Science:
- Pain research
- Psychophysics
- Clinical pain management
Background:
- Visualizing painful body parts can alter pain perception.
- Image manipulation, like magnification, may influence this effect.
- Previous studies show conflicting results in clinical vs. experimental pain models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of visual feedback and image magnification on pain intensity.
- To utilize a delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) model to explore visually induced analgesia.
Main Methods:
- Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) was induced in 20 healthy volunteers.
- Participants performed painful contractions under four conditions: viewing injured thigh, contralateral thigh, neutral object, or injured thigh via magnifying glasses.
- Pain intensity was rated during contractions in each condition.
Main Results:
- Direct visualization of the injured thigh did not alter pain compared to control conditions.
- Magnifying the injured thigh during painful contractions significantly increased reported pain intensity.
- Visual feedback effects on pain differ based on the nature of the pain stimulus.
Conclusions:
- Visual feedback's effect on pain is context-dependent and varies across pain conditions.
- Magnification of a painful body part can exacerbate pain, contrary to some analgesic expectations.
- Findings suggest potential applications for visual analgesia in clinical pain management, but require further investigation.
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