Pressure pain thresholds and psychological features in elders with chronic idiopathic neck pain

Abstract

There is evidence suggesting that patients with chronic idiopathic neck pain aged between 18-59 years have decreased pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) over injured and uninjured sites. Age-related changes in peripheral and central nervous systems as well as psychological features have been demonstrated to be associated with pain thresholds.  However, alterations of thresholds to pressure pain in elders with chronic neck pain are still unknown.  The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of PPTs and psychological features that may influence pain thresholds in elders with chronic idiopathic neck pain.  Twenty elders with chronic idiopathic neck pain (mean age 69.6 ± 3.9 years) and 20 controls (mean age 70.1 ± 3.6 years) participated in this study.  All participants completed TGDS, STAI-state and STAI-trait questionnaires.  PPTs were measured bilaterally over the articular pillars of C5-6 and tibialis anterior muscle, using an electronic digital algometer.  The results revealed that elders with neck pain had significantly lower PPTs over the articular pillars of C5-C6 when compared with controls (P < 0.05) but there was no significant difference between groups over the tibialis anterior muscle (P > 0.05).  The mean scores of TGDS, STAI-state and STAI-trait were not significantly different between groups.  The results of this study demonstrated the presence of localized hypersensitivity to mechanical stimuli in elders with chronic idiopathic neck pain.  This may suggest disturbances in peripheral pain processing mechanism.

Keywords: Elders, Neck pain, Pressure pain thresholds, Sensitization, Hypersensitivity