Similar effects of fatigue induced by a repetitive pointing task on local and remote light touch and pain perception in men and women.
<h4>Background</h4>Women involved in repetitive, fatiguing, jobs develop more neck and/or shoulder musculoskeletal disorders than men. Sex differences in the pain response to exercise could contribute to the higher prevalence of neck/shoulder musculoskeletal disorders in women. The objec...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2020-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244321 |
| _version_ | 1818574208545849344 |
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| author | Jason Bouffard Zachary Weber Lyndsey Pearsall Kim Emery Julie N Côté |
| author_facet | Jason Bouffard Zachary Weber Lyndsey Pearsall Kim Emery Julie N Côté |
| author_sort | Jason Bouffard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Background</h4>Women involved in repetitive, fatiguing, jobs develop more neck and/or shoulder musculoskeletal disorders than men. Sex differences in the pain response to exercise could contribute to the higher prevalence of neck/shoulder musculoskeletal disorders in women. The objective of this study was to assess sex differences in pain sensitivity following a fatiguing upper limb task. Relationships between measures of fatigue and of the sensitivity to nociceptive and to non-nociceptive stimulations were also explored.<h4>Methods</h4>Thirty healthy adults (15 women) performed a fatiguing repetitive pointing task with their dominant arm. Upper limb electromyography was recorded from the dominant upper trapezius, anterior deltoid and bicep brachii and from the contralateral tibialis anterior. Before and immediately after the repetitive pointing task, pressure pain and light touch sensitivity thresholds were measured over the same muscles.<h4>Results</h4>Electromyographic signs of fatigue were observed only in the anterior deltoid and biceps brachii muscles. Pressure pain thresholds over both muscles increased slightly (effect size ≤ 0.34), but no changes occurred over the upper trapezius and the tibialis anterior. Light touch thresholds increased moderately to importantly after the repetitive pointing task over all four muscles (effect sizes = 0.58 to 0.87). No sex differences were observed in any sensory variable. Moreover, no or weak correlations (r = -0.27 to 0.39) were observed between electromyographical signs of fatigue, light touch threshold and pressure pain threshold variables.<h4>Conclusions</h4>We observed sex-independent effects of a repetitive upper limb task on the sensitivity to painful and to nonpainful stimuli. Moreover, the hypoalgesia induced by the repetitive pointing task was weak and localized, and did not directly correlate with the induced muscle fatigue. Results suggest that fatigue-related changes in the sensitivity to noxious and innocuous stimuli could not explain women's greater prevalence of neck/shoulder musculoskeletal disorders. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:23:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0d83abc771a14e7cbaabc96757bfa7e9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:23:31Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-0d83abc771a14e7cbaabc96757bfa7e92022-12-21T22:42:14ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032020-01-011512e024432110.1371/journal.pone.0244321Similar effects of fatigue induced by a repetitive pointing task on local and remote light touch and pain perception in men and women.Jason BouffardZachary WeberLyndsey PearsallKim EmeryJulie N Côté<h4>Background</h4>Women involved in repetitive, fatiguing, jobs develop more neck and/or shoulder musculoskeletal disorders than men. Sex differences in the pain response to exercise could contribute to the higher prevalence of neck/shoulder musculoskeletal disorders in women. The objective of this study was to assess sex differences in pain sensitivity following a fatiguing upper limb task. Relationships between measures of fatigue and of the sensitivity to nociceptive and to non-nociceptive stimulations were also explored.<h4>Methods</h4>Thirty healthy adults (15 women) performed a fatiguing repetitive pointing task with their dominant arm. Upper limb electromyography was recorded from the dominant upper trapezius, anterior deltoid and bicep brachii and from the contralateral tibialis anterior. Before and immediately after the repetitive pointing task, pressure pain and light touch sensitivity thresholds were measured over the same muscles.<h4>Results</h4>Electromyographic signs of fatigue were observed only in the anterior deltoid and biceps brachii muscles. Pressure pain thresholds over both muscles increased slightly (effect size ≤ 0.34), but no changes occurred over the upper trapezius and the tibialis anterior. Light touch thresholds increased moderately to importantly after the repetitive pointing task over all four muscles (effect sizes = 0.58 to 0.87). No sex differences were observed in any sensory variable. Moreover, no or weak correlations (r = -0.27 to 0.39) were observed between electromyographical signs of fatigue, light touch threshold and pressure pain threshold variables.<h4>Conclusions</h4>We observed sex-independent effects of a repetitive upper limb task on the sensitivity to painful and to nonpainful stimuli. Moreover, the hypoalgesia induced by the repetitive pointing task was weak and localized, and did not directly correlate with the induced muscle fatigue. Results suggest that fatigue-related changes in the sensitivity to noxious and innocuous stimuli could not explain women's greater prevalence of neck/shoulder musculoskeletal disorders.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244321 |
| spellingShingle | Jason Bouffard Zachary Weber Lyndsey Pearsall Kim Emery Julie N Côté Similar effects of fatigue induced by a repetitive pointing task on local and remote light touch and pain perception in men and women. PLoS ONE |
| title | Similar effects of fatigue induced by a repetitive pointing task on local and remote light touch and pain perception in men and women. |
| title_full | Similar effects of fatigue induced by a repetitive pointing task on local and remote light touch and pain perception in men and women. |
| title_fullStr | Similar effects of fatigue induced by a repetitive pointing task on local and remote light touch and pain perception in men and women. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Similar effects of fatigue induced by a repetitive pointing task on local and remote light touch and pain perception in men and women. |
| title_short | Similar effects of fatigue induced by a repetitive pointing task on local and remote light touch and pain perception in men and women. |
| title_sort | similar effects of fatigue induced by a repetitive pointing task on local and remote light touch and pain perception in men and women |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244321 |
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