Corticospinal Excitability in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

Abstract

In summary, this study has revealed that corticospinal excitability, driving ES muscles close to the site of pain, is lowered in patients with chronic low back pain.

A Paradigm-Shift in Pain Medicine

“…In another study (study V), I demonstrated that the presence of low back pain is associated with more generalised hyperalgesia, in keeping with the results from other studies 45,78,176,177 . In the context of back pain patients undergoing back surgery (I, VI), I also found that the presence and degree of preoperative low back pain influenced the incidence -but not the degreeof generalised hyperalgesia in the first postoperative week 178 .…”

Alterations in central motor representation increase over time in individuals with rotator cuff tendinopathy

“…TMS studies conducted in other types of MSK disorders have also shown alterations in corticospinal excitability, with some reporting reductions in excitability and others reporting increases Strutton et al, 2003;Strutton et al, 2005). Some studies have also reported disruption in intracortical inhibition in patients with low back pain and complex regional syndrome type 1 (Masse-Alarie et al, 2012;Schwenkreis et al, 2003).…”

Corticomotor control of deep abdominal muscles in chronic low back pain and anticipatory postural adjustments

“…The single-and double-pulse TMS paradigms were used for the testing of corticomotor excitability and intracortical motor inhibition, respectively, because they were two important indicators of M1 functional integrity. We hypothesized delays in TrA/IO anticipatory activation with a reduction in the duration of anticipatory co-activation in LBP patients, along with changes in TMS outcomes, given the known absence of M1 inhibition in chronic pain (Lefaucheur et al 2006) and the decrease in M1 excitability in individuals with unilateral sciatica and chronic LBP (Strutton et al 2005;Strutton et al 2003).…”