Abstract
Background
Movement restriction has been proposed as an important modulator of changes in sensory and perceptual function and motor imagery performance that are observed in musculoskeletal pain syndromes. There are no empirical data to support this view.
Purpose
The primary objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of movement restriction on local and widespread sensory, perceptual and motor imagery changes after exercise-induced muscular pain. Further objectives were to investigate whether changes in sensory perception are correlated with pain intensity and tactile acuity or motor imagery performance.
Methods
In forty healthy volunteers, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) of the non-dominant elbow flexors was induced using eccentric contractions until exhaustion. Participants were then randomised into two groups: a movement restriction group (wearing a sling) or a control group (not wearing a sling). Sensory and perceptual functions were measured using a range of sensory tests and a motor imagery performance task (left/right limb judgements).
Results
Movement restriction did not modulate any of the measures. We found concurrent mechanical hypoesthesia (p < 0.01), reduced tactile acuity (p = 0.02) and pressure hyperalgesia (p < 0.01) at the painful side. We found evidence of widespread pressure hyperalgesia. Impaired tactile acuity was associated with a decrease in pain threshold to pressure (r = −0.34, p = 0.03). Motor imagery performance was unchanged (p > 0.35) by pain or movement restriction.
Conclusion
Short-term movement restriction did not influence local and widespread sensory changes induced by experimentally induced muscular pain.
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Abbreviations
- ANOVA:
-
Analysis of variance
- DOMS:
-
Delayed onset muscle soreness
- η 2 :
-
Eta squared
- CRPS:
-
Complex regional pain syndrome
- LBP:
-
Low back pain
- LLR:
-
Limb laterality recognition
- MDT:
-
Mechanical detection threshold
- 1RM:
-
One repetition maximum
- PASS-20:
-
Short-form pain anxiety symptoms scale
- PPT:
-
Pressure pain threshold
- TPD:
-
Two-point discrimination
- VAS:
-
Visual analogue scale
- SD:
-
Standard deviation
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Acknowledgments
MH was supported by a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). GLM is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia (NHMRC ID 1061279). This experiment was supported by NHMRC project grant (ID APP1008017). T.R.S. was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Postdoctoral Training Fellowship (ID223354) and a early career fellowship from the NHMRC of Australia (ID 1054041). JHM was supported by project grants from the NHMRC of Australia (ID 1008003 and 1043621).
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The authors report no conflicts of interest.
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Communicated by Dick F. Stegeman.
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Hübscher, M., Tu, S., Stanton, T. et al. Movement restriction does not modulate sensory and perceptual effects of exercise-induced arm pain. Eur J Appl Physiol 115, 1047–1055 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-3085-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-3085-5