Suprathreshold Pressure Pain Stimulation in Fibromyalgia

Pain Response Characteristics to Different Doses of Suprathreshold Pressure Stimulation in Fibromyalgia Subjects

The purpose of this study is to investigate the induced-pain characteristics after suprathreshold pressure stimulation at different intensities in fibromyalgia subjects, compared with healthy volunteers.

Fibromyalgia syndrome is a chronic painful, non-inflammatory rheumatic disease with a high negative impact on the quality of life, and is characterized by widespread pain, fatigue and generalised hyperalgesia on examination, symptoms that can be the consequence of central sensitization.

Despite several methods have successfully addressed this increased responsiveness of nociceptive neurons in the central nervous system, there is a lack of consensus about how to systematically perform them and those that are more appropriated for different syndromes. Therefore, investigating appropriate simple methods to assess clinical manifestations of central sensitization is relevant in the assessment of fibromyalgia.

The present study aims to investigate the pain response after suprathreshols pressure stimulation in fibromyalgia subjects compared with healthy volunteers.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age between 18 and 80 years
• Fullfilled the American Collegue of Rheumathology criteria for fibromyalgia.
• Understanding of spoken and written Spanish.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosed psychiatric pathology.
• Rheumatic pathology not medically controlled.