Association between pain, disability, widespread pressure pain hypersensitivity and trigger points in subjects with neck pain

Aims: Mechanical neck pain (MNP) and whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) represents two groups of subjects with a different pathogenesis, since current evidence supports that WAD subjects presents greater sensitization than MNP. Nevertheless, it is still unclear the relationship between neck pain, neck disability, widespread pressure pain hypersensitivity (sign of sensitization) and trigger points (TrPs) in these two groups of neck pain subjects. The aim of the current study was to investigate these associations in MNP and WAD subjects. Methods: Forty-six MNP and fifty-one WAD subjects underwent the following examination: pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) in the upper trapezius and tibialis anterior muscles, TrP examination in the upper trapezius, and collection of neck disability and neck pain intensity. The examination was performed by an assessor blinded to subjects’ condition. Results: A significant positive association between pain and disability (P < 0.003), pain and PPT in the upper trapezius (P < 0.041), pain and PPT in tibialis anterior (P < 0.038), disability and PPT in upper trapezius (P = 0.006) was found in both groups. Subjects with MNP showed significantly negative association between disability and PPT in the tibialis anterior (P = 0.003). Subjects with active TrPs in the upper trapezius exhibited significantly higher neck pain intensity and neck disability and lower PPTs (all, P < 0.015), than those with latent TrPs in both groups. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the association between pain, disability, and PPTs is similar in subjects with neck pain and not influenced by the origin of neck pain. The presence of active TrPs in upper trapezius in neck pain patients was related to higher pain intensity, related-disability and lower PPTs, compared to neck pain patients with latent TrPs in upper trapezius. Future studies are needed to determine the clinical role of these associations.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Association between pain, disability, widespread pressure pain hypersensitivity and trigger points in subjects with neck pain ; volume:16 ; number:1 ; year:2017 ; pages:167-168 ; extent:2 ; Scandinavian journal of pain ; 16, Heft 1 (2017), 167-168 (gesamt 2)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Castaldo, Matteo ; Catena, Antonella ; Chiarotto, Alessandro ; Villafañe, Jorge Hugo ; Fernández-de-las-Peñas, César ; Arendt-Nielsen, Lars

Further information

• DOI: 10.1016/j.sjpain.2017.04.012
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2024022714212219844650
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:57 AM CEST