Slow brushing reduces heat pain in humans

Liljencrantz, Jaquette; Strigo, Irina A.; Ellingsen, Dan‐Mikael; Krämer, Heidrun H.; Lundblad, Linda C.; Nagi, Saad S.; Leknes, Siri; Olausson, Håkan

doi:10.1002/ejp.1018

Cited by 93 publications

(80 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…However, we found no significant effect during hand grip and that may have been due to competing effects. In contrast to a previous investigation on heat pain (Liljencrantz et al 2017), the addition of CT-optimal stimulation by brushing was not sufficient to reduce pain from muscle fatigue in our hand-grip task. However, we found that MSNA burst area was significantly lower during brushing than warmth.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Cutaneous warmth, but not touch, increases muscle sympathetic nerve activity during a muscle fatigue hand-grip task

et al. 2020

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In homeostasis, somatosensory C fibre afferents are hypothesised to mediate input to the brain about interactions with external stimuli and sympathetic efference provides the output that regulates bodily functions. We aimed to test this hypothesis and whether different types of innocuous somatosensory input have differential effects. Healthy volunteers performed a muscle fatigue (hand-grip) task to exhaustion, which produces increased muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), as measured through microneurography. Participants completed the muscle fatigue task without concurrent cutaneous sensory stimulation (control) or we applied skin warming (heat pack) as a C fibre stimulation, slow brush stroking as C and Aβ fibre stimulation, or vibration as Aβ fibre stimulation, to the participant's forearm. We also measured heart rate, the duration of the hand-grip task, and ratings of pain at the end of the task. Concurrent skin warming showed increased MSNA compared to the other conditions. Tactile stimuli (brushing, vibration) were not significantly different to the control (no intervention) condition. Warming increased the pain from the muscle contraction, whereas the tactile stimuli did not. We interpret the effect of warming on MSNA as providing relevant afferent information during muscle contraction, which needed to be counteracted via vasoconstriction to maintain homeostasis. Brushing and vibration were less homeostatically relevant stimuli for the muscle contraction and hence had no significant effect. The findings add sensory specificity to our current understanding of homeostatic regulation through somatosensory afferent and sympathetic efferent pathways.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Cutaneous warmth, but not touch, increases muscle sympathetic nerve activity during a muscle fatigue hand-grip task

et al. 2020

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“…However, there is a dearth of knowledge on the potential pain modulatory effects of somatosensory stimuli with a different valence, notably pleasant stimuli via the activation of CT afferents, and how it may activate pain modulatory mechanisms in the oro‐facial region. This should be an increasing area of interest, particularly as it was recently demonstrated that a stimulus considered affectively more pleasant resulted in a greater reduction of pain 21,22 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modulation of experimental facial pain via somatosensory stimuli targeting sensations of different valence

Taneja

Olausson

Trulsson

et al. 2020

J of Oral Rehabilitation

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Background: Knowledge of pain modulation from oro-facial somatosensory stimuli with different valence (pleasant-unpleasant) is limited. Objectives: To investigate (a) the modulatory effects of painful, pleasant and unpleasant somatosensory stimuli on two models of experimental facial pain, (b) whether modulation could be changed by blocking peripheral nerves via application of a local anaesthetic, EMLA, or blocking endogenous opioid receptors via naltrexone and (c) whether pain ratings were significantly correlated with participant psychological profiles. Methods: Thirty-eight healthy women received experimental facial skin burning pain or jaw myalgia for four randomised sessions on different days. The painful region was stimulated with mechanical or thermal painful, pleasant, unpleasant and control stimuli, with ratings recorded before and during stimulation. Sessions differed in pretreatment: EMLA/naltrexone/placebo tablet/cream.Results: Significant effects of thermal or mechanical stimuli (P < .017), but not session (P > .102), were found on pain ratings for both models. In myalgia, painful cold resulted in a greater reduction in pain ratings than unpleasant cold, pleasant cold, control and pleasant warmth (P < .004). Decreases in pain ratings from painful, unpleasant and pleasant mechanical stimuli were greater than control (P < .002). In burning pain, painful cold resulted in a greater reduction in pain ratings than all but one of the other thermal stimuli (P < .033). The pleasant mechanical stimulus reduced pain ratings more than all other mechanical stimuli (P ≤ .003). There were no significant correlations between pain and psychometrics. Conclusion:Valence-targeted thermal and mechanical stimuli modulated experimental myalgia and skin burning pain (P < .017). Partially blocking peripheral afferents or opioid receptors did not affect modulation. K E Y W O R D S experimental pain, myalgia, nociception, oro-facial pain, somatosensation, stimulus, trigeminal nerve | 721 TANEJA ET Al.

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“…It was thought that the result would be that unmyelinated mechanoreceptors reacted, not the myelinated afferents [17]. On the other hand, with touching at a fast speed, it was thought that unmyelinated mechanoreceptors would be less activated [18]. Therefore, a therapist applied gentle touching with both hands from the top to the bottom of the back of an experiment participant at the speed of 3 to 5 cm per second.…”

Section: Methods Of Touching and A Therapistmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…C-tactile fibers are reported to enhance relaxation of the mind and the body, and the optimum stroking can be beneficial [16]. C-tactile fibers are most activated by smooth and soft touching [17,18]. C-tactile fibers are less activated by a quick motion of touching.…”

Section: Purpose Of the Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Back Touching on Tidal Volume

Hitomi

Yachi

Yamaguchi

2019

Psych

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The purpose of this basic experiment was to examine the effects of soft touching on an experiment participant’s back on tidal volume (TV), as an increase in TV was considered an indication of enhanced relaxation. Healthy experiment participants were divided into an intervention group, where soft touching was administered for two minutes on their back, and a control group, where they were asked to rest. Then the change in TV was measured using a spiro-meter two factor analysis of variance (ANOVA; mixture design) was conducted. As a result of two factor ANOVA, the intervention group’s TV changed with statistical significance, while no statistically significant change was observed in the control group. There was a possibility that soft touching on the back had a positive effect on the increase of TV and relaxation. As a result of soft touching on the back, TV was increased. Subjective indicators suggested that the relaxation was enhanced by soft touching on the back.

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Slow brushing reduces heat pain in humans

Abstract: Slow brushing stimuli - optimal for activation of C-tactile fibres - can reduce pain from cutaneous heating. No such effect was seen with fast brushing or vibration. These observations indicate the role of C-tactile fibres in pain modulation.

Cited by 93 publications

References 62 publications

Cutaneous warmth, but not touch, increases muscle sympathetic nerve activity during a muscle fatigue hand-grip task

Cutaneous warmth, but not touch, increases muscle sympathetic nerve activity during a muscle fatigue hand-grip task

Modulation of experimental facial pain via somatosensory stimuli targeting sensations of different valence

Effects of Back Touching on Tidal Volume

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