Dolor y estrés en fisioterapia: algometría de presión

Abstract

Objetives The proposal of this research is to obtain an objetive measurement of the pain threshold, both in base conditions, and after two different tests of induced stress: cryotherapy (test of induced cold) and PASAT test (mental stress test) to be able to compare results from both situations, in both hemibodies and genders. Methods 79 healthy subjects: 35 women and 44 men between 18 and 31 years-old went through algometric measurements on their masseter and trapezius muscles. These measurements were taken in three different moments: basal conditions, straight after cryotherapy, and straight after PASAT test; everything within the same session. Results The results obtained from all the different conditions were significant; relating to sex; obtaining in men higher values than in women on the masseter muscle (P = 0,011); and according to the laterality, the resulting values were higher in the left side, in the case of the masseter (P = 0,033), but not in the case of the trapezius (P = 0,134). Conclusions The masseter and trapezius muscle are muscles specially prone to react before stress (physical – ambient – and mental); and healthy females exhibited significantly lower mean pain threshold than males.