Menthol-Based Topical Analgesic Induces Similar Upper and Lower Body Pain Pressure Threshold Values: A Randomized Trial

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
David G. Behm ◽  
Nehara Herat ◽  
Gerard M.J. Power ◽  
Joseph A. Brosky ◽  
Phil Page ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Professionals ◽  
Pain Sensitivity ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Erector Spinae ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Lower Body ◽  
Pressure Threshold ◽  
Pain Pressure Threshold ◽  
Topical Analgesics ◽  
Topical Analgesic

Context: Both health professionals and consumers use menthol-based topical analgesics extensively for the temporary relief of pain from musculoskeletal ailments or injury. However, there are no reports of differences in the pain pressure threshold (PPT) or the relative effectiveness of topical analgesics to reduce pain in the upper and lower body muscles and tendons. The objective of this study was to investigate whether differences existed in PPT and relative pain attenuation associated with a menthol-based topical analgesic over a variety of upper and lower body muscles and tendons. Design: Randomized allocation, controlled, intervention study. Methods: Sixteen participants (10 females and 6 males) were tested on their dominant or nondominant side. The order of specific muscle/tendon testing was also randomized, which included upper body (middle deltoid, biceps brachii, and lateral epicondylar tendon) and lower body locations (quadriceps, hamstrings, gastrocnemius, lumbosacral erector spinae muscles, and patellar and Achilles tendons). The PPT was monitored before and 15 minutes following the application of a menthol-based topical analgesic. Results: A menthol-based topical analgesic increased PPT (decreased pain sensitivity) overall (P = .05; 11.6% [2.4%]; d = 1.05) and PPT was higher (P < .0001; 31.5%–44.2%; d = 1.03–1.8) for lower versus upper body locations. Conclusions: Health professionals and the public can be assured of similar reductions in pain sensitivity independent of the location of application of a menthol-based topical analgesic.

scholarly journals Prediction of running-induced Achilles tendinopathy with pain sensitivity – a 1-year prospective study

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-146
Author(s):  
René B.K. Brund ◽  
Sten Rasmussen ◽  
Uwe G. Kersting ◽  
Lars Arendt-Nielsen ◽  
Thorvaldur Skuli Palsson
Keyword(s):  
Achilles Tendon ◽  
Pain Sensitivity ◽  
Achilles Tendinopathy ◽  
Risk Difference ◽  
Training Volume ◽  
Running Speed ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Pressure Threshold ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Pain Pressure Threshold

Abstract Background and aims Achilles tendinopathy is common among runners, but the etiology remains unclear. High mechanical pain sensitivity may be a predictor of increased risk of developing Achilles tendinopathy in this group. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether local pain sensitivity could predict the development of Achilles tendinopathy in recreational male runners. The overall hypothesis was that high pain sensitivity would be related to a higher risk of developing Achilles tendinopathy among recreational male runners. Methods Ninety-nine recreational male runners were recruited and followed prospectively for 1 year. At baseline and after 500 km of running the pressure pain threshold (PPT) was assessed at the infraspinatus and at the Achilles tendon (AT-PPT). Based on the AT-PPT at baseline, a median split was used to divide the runners into two groups. The high pain sensitivity groups was defined as runners displaying a pain pressure threshold below 441 kPa on the Achilles tendon, while the low pain sensitivity group was defined as runners displaying a pain pressure threshold above 441 kPa on the Achilles tendon, respectively. Subsequently, the cumulative risk difference between the two groups was assessed by using the pseudo-observation method. Results High pain sensitivity runners sustained 5%-point (95% CI: −0.18 to 0.08) more Achilles tendinopathy episodes during the first 1,500 km. No significant group differences in risk were found at 100, 250, 500, 1,000 and 1,500 km of running. Conclusions No significant association was found between mechanical pain sensitivity in the Achilles tendon and the risk of developing Achilles tendinopathy. However, the risk difference indicated a association between a high mechanical pain sensitivity and an increased risk of developing Achilles tendinopathy. It is plausible that changes in pain sensitivity were masked by unmeasured covariates, such as the differences in progression/regression of training volume and running speed between the two groups. This study was limited in size, which limited the possibility to account for covariates, such as differences in progression/regression of running speed between runners. With the limitations in mind, future studies should control the training volume, speed and running shoes in the design or account for it in the analysis. Implications Pain sensitivity of the Achilles tendon seems not to be related to an increased risk of developing Achilles pain in relation to running.

scholarly journals Using a laptop computer for work: musculoskeletal disorders and the functional characteristics of the neck in comparison with the users of desktop computers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Argus ◽  
Mati Pääsuke
Keyword(s):  
Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽  
Office Workers ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Left Shoulder ◽  
Laptop Computer ◽  
Functional Characteristics ◽  
Desktop Computer ◽  
Pressure Threshold ◽  
Desktop Computers ◽  
Pain Pressure Threshold

Abstract Background Using a laptop for work is gaining rapid popularity, but there is little evidence of how it influences musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and functional characteristics of the neck and shoulder area. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of upper body MSDs and functional characteristics of the neck between office workers using a laptop or desktop computer. Methods A total of 110 office workers with a mean age of 41 ± 10 participated. From them 45 office workers (73% female) used a laptop and 65 office workers (86% female) desktop computers. The prevalence of MSDs was recorded using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Active range of motion (AROM), maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) force, joint position error (JPE), and pain-pressure threshold (PPT) of the neck were measured. Results Laptop users had statistically significantly more MSDs in the right shoulder area on the day of participation (p < 0.001, OR = 4.47), during the previous 7 days (p < 0.01, OR = 3.74) and 6 months (p < 0.01, OR = 3.57). Laptop users had also significantly more MSDs in the left shoulder during the previous 7 days (p < 0.05, OR = 2.44). Desktop computer users had more MSDs in the low back during the previous 6 months (p < 0.05, OR = 2.24). There were no statistically significant differences in any of the functional characteristics of the neck between the groups. Conclusions Using the laptop computer for office work can cause a higher chance of developing MSDs in the neck and shoulder area, but might not have a long-term effect on the functional characteristics of the neck.

scholarly journals Fitness in Older African American Population

2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 92-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Marzilli ◽  
Petra B. Schuler ◽  
Kristin F. Willhoit ◽  
Melissa F. Stepp
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
African American ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Lower Body ◽  
African American Adults ◽  
Maximal Amount ◽  
Body Strength ◽  
Lower Body Strength

With the rapid growth of the number of Americans aged 65 or older resulting in expectations of doubling the number of the population in that age bracket, health professionals and fitness experts will be called upon to develop and implement methods for keeping this population as healthy as possible for as long as possible, and to aid these individuals with retaining their quality of life. This study examined whether incorporating a low-cost, community-based strength and flexibility program would improve performancebased measures of strength, flexibility, and endurance in older (57 to 82 yr.; M = 68 yr., SD = 5 yr.) African-American adults. Evaluated components were upper body strength (maximal amount of weighted arm curls), lower body strength (maximal amount of chair-ups), upper body flexibility (backscratch), lower body flexibility (modified sit-and-reach), and aerobic endurance (maximal distance covered in 6 minutes). Twenty African-American adults (5 male and 15 female) volunteered to participate in five weeks of strength and flexibility training (twice per week, 60 min. per session). Posttest results showed performance improvements for all five measured parameters, with significant improvements found for upper- and lower- body strength and lower body flexibility. Additionally, the structure of this exercise program resulted in adherence rates of more than 80%. In light of these findings, it is important that the design of strength and flexibility programs for older adults be implemented through the collaboration of health professionals and fitness experts; it is with this multifaceted approach to aging that an improvement in quality of life in later years can be achieved successfully.

Topical Analgesic Formulations: Following the Transdermal Treatment Paradigm Only?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan M Keppel Hesselink
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient ◽  
Mechanisms Of Action ◽  
Onset Of Action ◽  
Good Tolerability ◽  
Short Commentary ◽  
Topical Analgesics ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Treatment Paradigm ◽  
Topical Analgesic

Topical analgesics are regarded as new inroads to treat peripheral neuropathic pain, with a number of advantages over oral treatments. Topical treatment reduces systemic induced side-effects and have good tolerability, without problems of misuse or abuse, or dependency. Furthermore, the onset of action is fast, mostly within 30 minutes. The mechanism of action of topical analgesics is either via transdermal delivery of the analgesic, or via intradermal mechanisms of action. In the latter case, plasma levels of analgesics in the blood are absent or very low. This perspective is missing in the approach of the ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in the USA, installed by the FDA. In this short commentary, we plead for a more comprehensive approach of topical analgesics, including those formulations which explicitly are not based on transdermal penetration of the active pharmaceutical ingredient, but on intradermal mechanisms of action.

scholarly journals Central aortic hemodynamics following acute lower and upper-body exercise in a cold environment among patients with coronary artery disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi E. Hintsala ◽  
Rasmus I. P. Valtonen ◽  
Antti Kiviniemi ◽  
Craig Crandall ◽  
Juha Perkiömäki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coronary Artery Disease ◽  
Coronary Artery ◽  
Dynamic Exercise ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Cold Environment ◽  
Lower Body ◽  
Static Exercise ◽  
Upper Body Exercise ◽  
Post Exercise ◽  
Artery Disease

AbstractExercise is beneficial to cardiovascular health, evidenced by reduced post-exercise central aortic blood pressure (BP) and wave reflection. We assessed if post-exercise central hemodynamics are modified due to an altered thermal state related to exercise in the cold in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD patients (n = 11) performed moderate-intensity lower-body exercise (walking at 65–70% of HRmax) and rested in neutral (+ 22 °C) and cold (− 15 °C) conditions. In another protocol, CAD patients (n = 15) performed static (five 1.5 min work cycles, 10–30% of maximal voluntary contraction) and dynamic (three 5 min workloads, 56–80% of HRmax) upper-body exercise at the same temperatures. Both datasets consisted of four 30-min exposures administered in random order. Central aortic BP and augmentation index (AI) were noninvasively assessed via pulse wave analyses prior to and 25 min after these interventions. Lower-body dynamic exercise decreased post-exercise central systolic BP (6–10 mmHg, p < 0.001) and AI (1–6%, p < 0.001) both after cold and neutral and conditions. Dynamic upper-body exercise lowered central systolic BP (2–4 mmHg, p < 0.001) after exposure to both temperatures. In contrast, static upper-body exercise increased central systolic BP after exposure to cold (7 ± 6 mmHg, p < 0.001). Acute dynamic lower and upper-body exercise mainly lowers post-exercise central BP in CAD patients irrespective of the environmental temperature. In contrast, central systolic BP was elevated after static exercise in cold. CAD patients likely benefit from year-round dynamic exercise, but hemodynamic responses following static exercise in a cold environment should be examined further.Clinical trials.gov: NCT02855905 04/08/2016.

Upper Body Aerobic Exercise as a Possible Predictor of Lower Body Performance

2015 ◽  
Vol 86 (7) ◽  
pp. 599-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl J. Ade ◽  
Ryan M. Broxterman ◽  
Jesse C. Craig ◽  
Susanna J. Schlup ◽  
Samuel L. Wilcox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aerobic Exercise ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Lower Body

scholarly journals Effects of the lower jaw position on athletic performance of elite athletes

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e000886
Author(s):  
John Patrick Haughey ◽  
Peter Fine
Keyword(s):  
Athletic Performance ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Lower Body ◽  
Lower Jaw ◽  
Hamstring Flexibility ◽  
Jaw Position ◽  
Upper Body Power ◽  
Lower Body Power

When an athlete wears a mouthguard, the position of the lower jaw is changed by virtue of the teeth being unable to occlude. Little research is available in in this area, which have indicated both positive impact and no positive impact.ObjectivesThis study aims to explore the influence of the lower jaw position on athletic performance in elite athletes.MethodsA repeated measures study compared two lower jaw positions, the athlete’s normal (habitual) bite and the lower jaw position when the muscles of mastication are at physiological rest (physiological rest bite). 15 athletes completed a medicine ball putt (upper body power), vertical jump (lower body power), sit and reach (composite hamstring flexibility), passive knee flexion (hamstring muscle length) and star excursion balance (stability and balance) tests in each condition.ResultsPaired t-tests showed the physiological rest bite had significant (p<0.05) positive effect on athletic performance for each test. On average the physiological rest bite provided an increase of lower body power (5.8%), upper body power (10%), hamstring flexibility (14%) and balance and stability (4.8%) compared to the habitual bite.ConclusionThis study provides evidence of the need for further research to confirm if the lower jaw position can be optimised for athletic performance in athletes.

Analysis of Power Output Time Series in Response to Supramaximal Exercise: An Approach Through Dynamic Factor Analysis

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Marta Bruno ◽  
Fernando Duarte Pereira ◽  
Renato Fernandes ◽  
Gonçalo Vilhena de Mendonça
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Power Output ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Dynamic Factor Analysis ◽  
Dynamic Factor ◽  
Lower Body ◽  
Supramaximal Exercise ◽  
Output Time ◽  
Pattern Of Variation

The responses to supramaximal exercise testing have been traditionally analyzed by means of standard parametric and nonparametric statistics. Unfortunately, these statistical approaches do not allow insight into the pattern of variation of a given parameter over time. The purpose of this study was to determine if the application of dynamic factor analysis (DFA) allowed discriminating different patterns of power output (PO), during supramaximal exercise, in two groups of children engaged in competitive sports: swimmers and soccer players. Data derived from Wingate testing were used in this study. Analyses were performed on epochs (30 s) of upper and lower body PO obtained from twenty two healthy boys (11 swimmers and 11 soccer players) age 11–12 years old. DFA revealed two distinct patterns of PO during Wingate. Swimmers tended to attain their peak PO (upper and lower body) earlier than soccer players. As importantly, DFA showed that children with a given pattern of upper body PO tend to perform similarly during lower body exercise.

Cardiorespiratory responses to exercise distributed between the upper and lower body

1983 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 1403-1407 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. Toner ◽  
M. N. Sawka ◽  
L. Levine ◽  
K. B. Pandolf
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Exchange Ratio ◽  
Venous Return ◽  
Minute Ventilation ◽  
Peripheral Resistance ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Lower Body ◽  
Upper Body Exercise ◽  
Cardiorespiratory Responses ◽  
Muscle Groups ◽  
Constant Power Output

The present study examined the influence that distributing exercise between upper (arm crank exercise) and lower (cycle exercise) body muscle groups had on cardiorespiratory responses to constant power output (PO) exercise. Six male volunteers completed five submaximal exercise bouts of 7-min duration at both 76 and 109 W. The arm PO/total PO (% arm) for these bouts was approximately 0, 20, 40, 60, and 100%. At 76 W, O2 uptake (VO2) did not change (P greater than 0.05) from 0 to approximately 20% arm (approximately 1.30 1 x min-1) but increased with increasing percent arm values up to 100% (1.58 1 x min-1). At 109 W, VO2 increased throughout the range of 0 (1.70 1 x min-1) to 100% arm (2.33 1 x min-1). In general, minute ventilation (VE) and respiratory exchange ratio (R) increased with increased percent arm values at 76 and 109 W. The heart rate (HR) responses remained unchanged from 0 to 60% arm at both 76 and 109 W; however, between 60 and 100% arm, a 26-beats x min-1 increase was observed at 76 W (143 beats x min-1 at 100% arm) and a 45-beats x min-1 increase at 109 W (174 beats x min-1 at 100% arm). These data suggested that during upper body exercise, the increased VO2 associated with increased percent arm values was not accompanied by an elevated HR response when at least 40% of the PO was performed by the lower body. This might be attributed to a facilitated venous return and/or a decreased total peripheral resistance when the lower body was involved in the exercise.

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