Personal influencing factors for pressure pain threshold in healthy people: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

All studies that investigated personal factors influencing pressure pain threshold (PPT) in healthy people were synthesized. Data was summarized, and risk of bias (RoB) and level of evidence were determined. Results were pooled per influencing factor, grouped by body region and included in meta-analyses. Fifty-four studies were eligible. Five had low, nine moderate, and 40 high RoB. Following meta-analyses, a strong conclusion was found for the influence of scapular position, a moderate for the influence of gender, and a weak for the influence of age (shoulder/arm region) and blood pressure on PPT. In addition, body mass index, gender (leg region), alcohol consumption and pain vigilance may not influence PPT. Based on qualitative summary, depression and menopause may not influence PPT. For other variables there was only preliminary or conflicting evidence. However, caution is advised, since the majority of included studies showed a high RoB and several were not eligible to include in meta-analyses. Heterogeneity was high in the performed meta-analyses, and most conclusions were weak. More standardized research is necessary.

Specific versus Non-Specific Exercises for Chronic Neck or Shoulder Pain: A Systematic Review.

The current systematic review aimed to compare the effect of injury-focused (specific) exercises versus more general (non-specific) exercises on pain in patients with chronic neck or shoulder pain. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science. Two reviewers screened and selected studies, extracted outcomes, assessed risk of bias, and rated the quality of evidence. A total of nine eligible studies, represented in 13 articles, were identified, with a considerable risk of bias. One article investigated the acute effect of single bouts of exercise on pain and reported an immediate pain reduction after non-specific exercise. Regarding short-term effects, seven out of the nine studies found no differences in pain between interventions, with inconsistent results among two other studies. Concerning the long-term effects, while pain reduction seems to be favored by specific exercises (two out of four articles), the best format is still unclear. Based on the acute effects, a single bout of non-specific exercise seems to be a better option for pain-relief for patients with chronic neck or shoulder pain. For short-term effects, there are no differences in pain between specific and non-specific exercises. Regarding long-term effects, specific exercises seem to be the best option. Nevertheless, more studies are warranted.