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Effects of experimental muscle pain on shoulder-abduction force steadiness and muscle activity in healthy subjects

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Abstract

We previously demonstrated that the steadiness of shoulder abduction is reduced in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS), which might be related to shoulder pain associated with the SIS. The aim of the present study was to examine the acute effects of experimental shoulder muscle pain on shoulder motor function in healthy subjects. The fluctuations in exerted force (force steadiness) and electromyographic (EMG) activity from eight shoulder muscles were determined during sub-maximal isometric and dynamic contractions with the shoulder abductors in nine healthy subjects (27.7 ± 4.2 years, mean ± 1 SD) before, during and after experimental pain induction. Experimental pain was induced by bolus injections of 6% hypertonic saline into the supraspinatus muscle. Experimental muscle pain reduced shoulder-abduction force steadiness on average by 21% during isometric contractions (P = 0.012) and tended to do so during concentric contractions (P = 0.083). Middle deltoid, and infraspinatus and lower trapezius muscle activity increased (3–5% EMGmax) during isometric and concentric contractions, respectively (P < 0.05). Thus, experimental shoulder muscle pain reduced the steadiness of isometric shoulder abduction and caused small changes in the abduction activation strategy. The observed effects of experimental pain on shoulder motor function differed from that observed previously in patients with SIS and chronic pain during the same types of contractions. A possible explanation may be that, even though the adopted experimental pain-paradigm may reflect the SIS in terms of the painful structures, it might not reflect the adaptations in the central nervous system seen with chronic pain.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Professor Michael Kjaer for the use of laboratory facilities, Poul Dyhre-Poulsen, PhD, for his technical help, and Derek Curtis, RPT for comments on the manuscript. The project was supported in part by a grant from the Danish Foundation for Research in Physiotherapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Sports Medicine-Copenhagen, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Thomas Bandholm, Lars Rasmussen, Per Aagaard & Louise Diederichsen

  2. Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Thomas Bandholm, Lars Rasmussen & Bente Rona Jensen

  3. Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

    Per Aagaard

  4. Gait Analysis Laboratory (section 247), Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hvidovre University Hospital, Kettegaard Allé 30, 2650, Hvidovre, Denmark

    Thomas Bandholm

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  1. Thomas Bandholm
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  2. Lars Rasmussen
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  3. Per Aagaard
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  4. Louise Diederichsen
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  5. Bente Rona Jensen
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Correspondence to Thomas Bandholm.

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Bandholm, T., Rasmussen, L., Aagaard, P. et al. Effects of experimental muscle pain on shoulder-abduction force steadiness and muscle activity in healthy subjects. Eur J Appl Physiol 102, 643–650 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-007-0642-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-007-0642-1

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