The effect of chronic low back pain on tactile suppression during back movements

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine whether tactile suppression, the phenomenon whereby tactile perception is suppressed during movement, would occur in the context of back movements. Of particular interest, it was investigated if tactile suppression in the back would be attenuated in those suffering from chronic low back pain. Individuals with chronic low back pain (N = 30) and a matched control group (N = 24) detected tactile stimuli on three possible locations (back, arm, chest) while performing a back or arm movement, or no movement. We hypothesized that the movements would induce tactile suppression, and that this effect would be largest for low-intense stimuli on the moving body part. We further hypothesized that, during back movements, tactile suppression on the back would be less pronounced in the chronic low back pain group than in the control group. The results showed the expected general tactile suppression effects. The hypothesis of back-specific attenuation of tactile suppression in the chronic low back pain group was not supported. However, backspecific tactile suppression in the chronic low back pain group was less pronounced in those who performed the back movements more slowly.

Hypervigilance for Bodily Sensations in the Back During a Movement Task in People With Chronic and Recurrent Low Back Pain

“…sensory suppression 50 ). It has been hypothesized that CLBP might negatively affect sensory suppression 51 , but the current study did not find indications for this.…”

Do patients with chronic unilateral orofacial pain due to a temporomandibular disorder show increased attending to somatosensory input at the painful side of the jaw?

“…Nevertheless, our findings show that we should be cautious in generalizing the idea of disrupted tactile processing in painful body parts to the entire population of unilateral chronic pain patients ( Van Damme et al, 2016 ). More research with more diverse and larger samples of chronic pain patients (e.g., Van Damme et al, 2014 ; Van Damme et al, 2015 ), allowing identification of moderating factors of enhanced versus attenuated tactile processing, is highly recommended.…”

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