Reorganized Force Control in Elbow Pain Patients During Isometric Wrist Extension

Christian Ariel Mista, Sonia Monterde, Montserrat Inglés, Isabel Salvat, Thomas Graven-Nielsen

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)
329 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Reorganised force control may be an important adaptation following painful traumas. In this study, force control adaptations were assessed in elbow pain patients. Increasing the contraction demand may overcome pain interference on the motor control and as such act as an internal control. It was hypothesized that elbow pain patients compared with control subjects would present greater change in the direction of force when increasing the demand of the motor task.

METHODS: Elbow pain patients (n=19) and healthy subjects (n=21) performed isometric wrist extensions at 5-70% of maximum voluntary contraction. Pressure pain thresholds were recorded at the lateral epicondyle and tibialis anterior muscle. Contraction force was recorded using a three-directional force transducer. Participants performed contractions according with visual feedback of the task-related force intensity (main direction of wrist extension) and another set of contractions with feedback of the three force directions. Going from the simple to the detailed force feedback will increase the demand of the motor task. Force steadiness in all 3 dimensions and force direction was extracted.

RESULTS: Compared with controls, elbow pain patients presented lower pressure pain thresholds at both sites (P<0.05). Force steadiness was not significantly different between groups or feedback methods. The change in force direction when providing simple visual feedback in contrast to feedback of all force components at all contraction levels was greater for patients compared with controls (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: The larger change in force direction in pain patients implies redistribution of loads across the arm as an associated effect of pain.

Original languageEnglish
JournalThe Clinical Journal of Pain
Volume34
Issue number8
Pages (from-to)732–738
Number of pages7
ISSN0749-8047
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2018

Bibliographical note

DNRF121

Keywords

  • elbow pain
  • isometric force
  • lateral epicondylalgia
  • sensory-motor control

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