Corrugator Muscle Activity Associated with Pressure Pain in Adults with Neck/Shoulder Pain
Takahiro Yamada, Hiroyoshi Yajima, Miho Takayama, Konomi Imanishi, Nobuari Takakura

TL;DR
This study shows that corrugator muscle activity increases during pressure pain stimulation in people with neck/shoulder pain, suggesting it could be used to objectively assess pain sensitivity.
Contribution
The study introduces a novel method using corrugator muscle activity for objective pain assessment in skeletal muscle tenderness.
Findings
Corrugator muscle activity significantly increased with pressure pain stimulation compared to without stimulation.
There was a significant positive correlation between corrugator activity and the affective component of pain.
Chronic neck/shoulder pain alone did not increase corrugator muscle activity at rest.
Abstract
Background and Objectives: No studies have reported corrugator muscle activity associated with pain in people with pain. This study aimed to develop an objective pain assessment method using corrugator muscle activity with pressure pain stimulation to the skeletal muscle. Methods: Participants were 20 adults (a mean ± SD age of 22.0 ± 3.1 years) with chronic neck/shoulder pain. Surface electromyography (sEMG) of corrugator muscle activity at rest (baseline) and without and with pressure pain stimulation applied to the most painful tender point in the shoulder was recorded. Participants evaluated the intensity of the neck/shoulder pain and the sensory and affective components of pain with pressure stimulation using a visual analogue scale (VAS). The percentages of integrated sEMG (% corrugator activity) without and with pressure pain stimulation to the baseline integrated sEMG were…
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Taxonomy
TopicsMusculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation · Pain Mechanisms and Treatments · Botulinum Toxin and Related Neurological Disorders
