Relationship between Neuromuscular Mechanosensitivity and Chronic Neck Pain in Guitarists: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Musicians frequently complain of musculoskeletal pain due to high mechanical demands, with the cervical spine being the most affected. Increased neuromuscular mechanosensitivity due to repetitive mechanical stress over time has been described in neck pain patients. Nevertheless, the association between musculoskeletal pain and neuromuscular mechanosensitivity in musicians is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between neuromuscular tissue mechanosensitivity and neck pain in guitarists. Guitarists with chronic neck pain (n = 70) and without pain (n = 70) were enrolled. Pain and disability were measured by the visual analogue scale and the Neck Disability Index, respectively. The pressure pain threshold (PPT) was bilaterally measured for the upper trapezius and median nerve. Finally, the Upper limb neural test one (ULNT1) was bilaterally measured. The analyses included a 2-by-2 mixed analysis of variance, pairwise comparisons with Bonferroni correction, linear regression model, and multiple linear regression. Our data showed that chronic neck pain guitarists have a lower PPT at all locations compared to healthy guitarists. They also showed a bilateral main effect for pain for ULNT1 compared to healthy guitarists. These results were not affected by the mediator variables. Finally, a relationship between upper trapezius PPT and median nerve PPT was found.

Mechanical Hyperalgesia but Not Forward Shoulder Posture Is Associated with Shoulder Pain in Volleyball Players: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The relationship between posture and tissue mechanosensitivity has been studied previously. Although the mechanical stress suffered by the structures involved in a poor posture could produce an alteration of the sensitivity of these structures, it seems that the presence of pain plays an important role in the degree of mechanosensitization [ 7 , 32 , 33 ]. Martinez-Merinero P et al [ 7 ], Rojas VEA et al [ 32 ], and Pacheco J et al [ 33 ], showed that mechanosensitivity of neck muscles and upper extremity nerve trunks is related to neck pain more than to forward head position.…”

“…Although the mechanical stress suffered by the structures involved in a poor posture could produce an alteration of the sensitivity of these structures, it seems that the presence of pain plays an important role in the degree of mechanosensitization [ 7 , 32 , 33 ]. Martinez-Merinero P et al [ 7 ], Rojas VEA et al [ 32 ], and Pacheco J et al [ 33 ], showed that mechanosensitivity of neck muscles and upper extremity nerve trunks is related to neck pain more than to forward head position. Similarly, a study conducted by Haik M et al [ 34 ] in which they found that subjects with shoulder pain demonstrated mechanical hyperalgesia compared with healthy controls.…”

Chronic pain: a unifying theory of mechanism

“…Widespread hypersensitivity in cervical radiculopathy (142), lumbar radiculopathy (143), whiplash injuries (142,144), and plexopathies after breast cancer surgery and radiotherapy (145) also suggests the etiological importance of proximal compressive nerve injury. Of similar relevance may also be the occurrence of bilateral peripheral hypersensitivity in patients with nonneurogenic neck pain (146) and nonspecific arm pain (147).…”

Chronic pain and local pain in usually painless conditions including neuroma may be due to compressive proximal neural lesion

“…Widespread hypersensitivity in cervical radiculopathy ( 142 ), lumbar radiculopathy ( 143 ), whiplash injuries ( 142 , 144 ), and plexopathies after breast cancer surgery and radiotherapy ( 145 ) also suggests the etiological importance of proximal compressive nerve injury. Of similar relevance may also be the occurrence of bilateral peripheral hypersensitivity in patients with non-neurogenic neck pain ( 146 ) and nonspecific arm pain ( 147 ).…”