The Influence of Pain on Exercise-Induced Hypoalgesia in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Pain
- Sponsor
- Odense University Hospital
- Enrollment
- 35
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Pressure pain threshold at the right quadriceps muscle where injection is performed.
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 5 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to investigate how acute pain induced by hypertonic saline prior to exercise influence the magnitude of exercise-induced hypoalgesia after a 3 min isometric wallsquat exercise in healthy subjects. The study is a single blinded (investigator) randomized cross-over trial The results from the study may be of great importance to the understanding of exercise-induced hypoalgesia, and whether the presence of pain affects the effects of exercise.
Detailed Description
Exercise is recommended to promote and maintain health and as treatment for more than 25 chronic diseases and pain conditions. The mechanisms underlying pain relief of exercise are largely unknown but may be related to the modulation of central descending pain inhibitory pathways after acute exercise bouts. Exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH) is typically assessed as the temporary change in PPTs after a short acute exercise bout and EIH is seen as a proxy of descending pain inhibitory control. In general, EIH seems hypoalgesic (functional) in asymptomatic subjects. A hyperalgesic (impaired) EIH response has been reported in different chronic pain populations, although a functional EIH response also has been reported in subgroups of knee osteoarthritis patients. This implies differences in the acute response to exercise between healthy (pain-free) subjects and chronic pain patients, but it is still unknown whether the presence of pain itself affects the pain alleviating response (i.e. the EIH response) to acute exercise. It is hypothesized that acute pain will decrease the EIH response magnitude following hypertonic saline injection compared with the control injection. This study will increase the insight into the EIH mechanisms in healthy subjects in general, and how the presence of pain affects the body's own ability to modulate pain during exercise.
Investigators
Henrik Bjarke Vægter
Associate Professor in Physiotherapy
Odense University Hospital
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Pain-free
- •Understands and writes Danish
Exclusion Criteria
- •Pregnancy
- •Previous addictive behavior defined as abuse of hash, opioids or other euphoric substances.
- •Previous painful or mental illnesses, neurological or circulatory diseases in the form of heart or lung disease.
- •Surgery within last 3 months
- •Pain on the days of testing
- •Pain for more than 2 weeks within the last 3 months
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Pressure pain threshold at the right quadriceps muscle where injection is performed.
Time Frame: Before and after the 3 minutes wall squat
Between group comparison of the primary outcome, which is change in pressure pain threshold at the right quadriceps muscle from before wall squat to after wall squat. Pressure pain threshold is measured with a hand held pressure algometer.
Secondary Outcomes
- Pressure pain threshold at the non-dominant trapezius muscle(Before and after the 3 minutes wall squat)
- Pressure pain threshold at the left quadriceps muscle where injection is not performed.(Before and after the 3 minutes wall squat)
- Pain Intensity in thighs(Assessed before and immediately after hypertonic and isotonic saline injection as well as after 1, 2 and 3 min of wall squat, and immediately after the end of wall squat)