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Related Experiment Videos

'Central sensitization' in chronic neck/shoulder pain.

Dagfinn Matre1, Stein Knardahl1

  • 1Department of Work Psychology and Physiology, National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway.

Scandinavian Journal of Pain
|June 20, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Central sensitization (CS) does not appear to directly influence daily pain intensity in individuals with chronic pain. However, CS may play a role in the variation of pain experienced between "good" and "bad" days.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pain Research
  • Musculoskeletal Disorders

Background:

  • Central sensitization (CS) is implicated in various chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia and low back pain.
  • The temporal variation of CS within individuals experiencing chronic pain remains largely unknown.
  • Understanding CS variability is crucial for managing chronic pain conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the intra-individual association between clinical pain intensity and signs of central sensitization.
  • To examine the inter-individual association between clinical pain intensity and signs of central sensitization.
  • To determine if central sensitization varies over time within individuals with chronic pain.

Main Methods:

  • Twenty-seven sedentary workers with neck/shoulder pain participated in two test sessions: one with weak pain and one with strong pain.
Keywords:
Central sensitizationMusculoskeletal disordersNeck painSecondary hyperalgesia

Related Experiment Videos

  • Central sensitization was assessed by measuring the area of secondary pinprick hyperalgesia following a standardized burn stimulus.
  • Clinical pain intensity and distribution were measured using visual analog scales (VAS) and specialized software (PINTlab, PDISTlab).

    • Main Results:

    • Participants exhibited significantly different clinical pain intensities between weak-pain and strong-pain days.
    • The area of secondary hyperalgesia, a marker of central sensitization, did not significantly differ between the two pain conditions.
    • A positive correlation between clinical pain and hyperalgesia was found on weak-pain days but not on strong-pain days.

    Conclusions:

    • Central sensitization, measured by secondary hyperalgesia, does not appear to be the primary driver of daily clinical pain intensity.
    • Central sensitization may influence the variation in clinical pain experienced by individuals across different days.
    • Individuals with lower indications of central sensitization may experience greater fluctuations in pain levels.