Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society Vol. 22, No. 8, pp. 816/825 DOI: 10.1097/gme.0000000000000398 * 2014 by The North American Menopause Society
Physical activity, pain responses to heat stimuli, and conditioned pain modulation in postmenopausal women Amanda L. Adrian, PhD, Patrick J. O’Connor, PhD, Christie L. Ward-Ritacco, PhD, and Ellen M. Evans, PhD Abstract Objective: Postmenopausal women (PMW) are at high risk for disabling pain and physical inactivity. This study sought to enhance the understanding of relationships between physical activity (PA) and pain among PMW using heat pain sensitivity test and conditioned pain modulation test. We hypothesized that, compared with active women, (i) inactive women would report higher pain intensity and pain unpleasantness ratings; (ii) inactive women in disabling pain would report higher pain intensity and pain unpleasantness at high, but not low, stimulus intensities; and (iii) inactive women would have less modulation. Methods: Sixty-eight PMW rated the pain intensity and pain unpleasantness of hot stimuli presented to the thenar eminence of the hand. A subset of 31 women rated the pain intensity of a test stimulus (noxious heat) and a conditioning stimulus (cold water) as part of the conditioned pain modulation task. PA was assessed objectively with accelerometry. Results: Mixed-model analysis of variance (2 4 2; PA Temperature Pain Status) showed that inactive women in disabling pain rated pain unpleasantness higher than active women in disabling pain (F3,192 = 3.526, ¯G2 = 0.052, P = 0.016). Significantly lower pain unpleasantness ratings were found at the highest stimulus intensity (49-C) only for active women in disabling pain compared with inactive women in disabling pain (t11 = 2.523, P = 0.028). The other hypotheses were not supported. Conclusions: PA is associated with a reduced sensitivity to the unpleasantness of painful high-intensity heat stimuli among women in disabling pain. Key Words: Diffuse noxious inhibitory control Y Exercise Y Heat pain Y Pain modulation Y 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey.
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isabling pain interferes with daily life and can lead to chronic pain.1,2 Risk factors for pain include genetics,3 personality,4 cognitive factors such as catastrophizing,5 low socioeconomic status,6 injury, acute pain, physical or mental illness,7
Physical activity, pain responses to heat stimuli, and conditioned pain modulation in postmenopausal women Amanda L. Adrian, PhD, Patrick J. O’Connor, PhD, Christie L. Ward-Ritacco, PhD, and Ellen M. Evans, PhD Abstract Objective: Postmenopausal women (PMW) are at high risk for disabling pain and physical inactivity. This study sought to enhance the understanding of relationships between physical activity (PA) and pain among PMW using heat pain sensitivity test and conditioned pain modulation test. We hypothesized that, compared with active women, (i) inactive women would report higher pain intensity and pain unpleasantness ratings; (ii) inactive women in disabling pain would report higher pain intensity and pain unpleasantness at high, but not low, stimulus intensities; and (iii) inactive women would have less modulation. Methods: Sixty-eight PMW rated the pain intensity and pain unpleasantness of hot stimuli presented to the thenar eminence of the hand. A subset of 31 women rated the pain intensity of a test stimulus (noxious heat) and a conditioning stimulus (cold water) as part of the conditioned pain modulation task. PA was assessed objectively with accelerometry. Results: Mixed-model analysis of variance (2 4 2; PA Temperature Pain Status) showed that inactive women in disabling pain rated pain unpleasantness higher than active women in disabling pain (F3,192 = 3.526, ¯G2 = 0.052, P = 0.016). Significantly lower pain unpleasantness ratings were found at the highest stimulus intensity (49-C) only for active women in disabling pain compared with inactive women in disabling pain (t11 = 2.523, P = 0.028). The other hypotheses were not supported. Conclusions: PA is associated with a reduced sensitivity to the unpleasantness of painful high-intensity heat stimuli among women in disabling pain. Key Words: Diffuse noxious inhibitory control Y Exercise Y Heat pain Y Pain modulation Y 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey.
D
isabling pain interferes with daily life and can lead to chronic pain.1,2 Risk factors for pain include genetics,3 personality,4 cognitive factors such as catastrophizing,5 low socioeconomic status,6 injury, acute pain, physical or mental illness,7
