Abstract
Background: Based on changes in lung function and musculoskeletal disorders in patients with asthma, this study aimed to compare the tarsal tunnel and fibular bone pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) of patients with asthma and healthy matched-paired controls. Methods: A case-control study was performed. One hundred participants were recruited: 50 asthma patients and 50 healthy matched-paired controls. Bilaterally, tarsal tunnel and fibula bone PPTs were registered. Results: Statistically significant differences (p < 0.01) were shown bilaterally for tarsal tunnel PPT. With the exception of fibula PPT (p > 0.05), asthma patients presented less tarsal tunnel PPT than healthy participants. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were shown for two linear regression prediction models of the right (R2 = 0.279) and left (R2 = 0.249) tarsal tunnels PPTs as dependent variables, and based on sex, group, contralateral tarsal tunnel PPT and ipsilateral fibula PPT as independent variables. Conclusions: The study findings showed that a bilateral tarsal tunnel mechanosensitivity increase is exhibited in patients diagnosed with asthma. The presence of asthma may bilaterally predict the PPT of tarsal tunnel. These findings may suggest the presence of central sensitization in asthma patients, which could clinically predispose them to musculoskeletal disorders, such as tarsal tunnel syndrome.
Highlights
Worldwide, asthma is considered a common chronic inflammatory condition which presents a significant impairment of the airways and lung function [1]
The most frequent used spirometry parameters in patients diagnosed with asthma may be the forced expiratory volume during 1 s (FEV1) and the forced vital capacity (FVC), as well as the FEV1/FVC coefficient due to reflect airway alterations and the prediction of physiological measurements [6]
A case-control study design was used to compare the lateral fibular malleolus and tarsal tunnel soft tissue pressure pain threshold (PPT) of patients diagnosed with asthma and healthy matched-paired controls
Summary
Asthma is considered a common chronic inflammatory condition which presents a significant impairment of the airways and lung function [1]. Based on changes in lung function and musculoskeletal disorders in patients with asthma, this study aimed to compare the tarsal tunnel and fibular bone pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) of patients with asthma and healthy matched-paired controls. Results: Statistically significant differences (p < 0.01) were shown bilaterally for tarsal tunnel PPT. With the exception of fibula PPT (p > 0.05), asthma patients presented less tarsal tunnel PPT than healthy participants. Conclusions: The study findings showed that a bilateral tarsal tunnel mechanosensitivity increase is exhibited in patients diagnosed with asthma. The presence of asthma may bilaterally predict the PPT of tarsal tunnel These findings may suggest the presence of central sensitization in asthma patients, which could clinically predispose them to musculoskeletal disorders, such as tarsal tunnel syndrome
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