Table 3.
Evaluation of pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) by algometry—Part I.
| Session | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median (range) | p | Median (range) | p | Median (range) | p | Median (range) | p | Median (range) | p | Median (range) | p | ||
| STIMULATION OF TRAPEZIUS MUSCLE | |||||||||||||
| Trapezius muscle—right side | Pre | 2.1 (0.9–3.4) |
0.352 | 1.7 (0.6–3.6) |
0.019 | 1.8 (0.8–4.6) |
0.008 | 1.9 (0.7–4.3) |
0.003 | 1.8 (0.7–4.4) |
0.033 | 2.0 (0.7–3.8) |
0.003 |
| Post | 2.0 (1–3.4) |
1.8 (1.0–3.7) |
1.9 (0.9–5.3) |
2.1 (0.8–5.6) |
2.0 (0.8–5.7) |
2.5 (0.6–5.1) |
|||||||
| Trapezius muscle—left side | Pre | 1.4 (1.0–3.4) |
0.103 | 1.4 (0.6–3.6) |
0.171 | 1.6 (0.6–4.2) |
0.039 | 1.6 (0.7–3.7) |
0.002 | 1.8 (0.7–3.6) |
0.018 | 2.0 (0.7–5.8) |
0.010 |
| Post | 1.8 (0.9–2.6) |
1.7 (0.7–3.7) |
1.8 (0.6–4.6) |
1.9 (0.8–4.6) |
2.0 (0.8–4.0) |
2.5 (0.9–5.2) |
|||||||
| Deltoid muscle—right side | Pre | 1.4 (0.6–2.3) |
0.472 | 1.4 (0.6–2.2) |
0.041 | 1.4 (0.6–2.3) |
0.014 | 1.3 (0.7–3.3) |
0.184 | 1.3 (0.6–2.2) |
0.039 | 1.2 (0.5–2.2) |
0.016 |
| Post | 1.4 (0.8–2.5) |
1.3 (0.8–2.2) |
1.5 (0.7–2.5) |
1.3 (0.6–3.5) |
1.5 (0.6–2.9) |
1.3 (0.6–2.5) |
|||||||
| Deltoid muscle—left side | Pre | 1.3 (0.7–2.1) |
0.235 | 1.3 (0.6–2.3) |
0.258 | 1.2 (0.6–2.2) |
0.001 | 1.3 (0.6–2.5) |
0.117 | 1.2 (0.7–2.2) |
0.032 | 1.2 (0.6–2.4) |
0.028 |
| Post | 1.3 (0.7–2.4) |
1.2 (0.7–2.6) |
1.4 (0.6–2.6) |
1.4 (0.6–2.4) |
1.4 (0.7–2.0) |
1.4 (0.6–2.7) |
|||||||
| STIMULATION OF DELTOID MUSCLE | |||||||||||||
| Trapezius muscle—right side | Pre | 1.4 (0.8–5.7) |
0.053 | 1.8 (0.8–6.2) |
0.008 | 2.1 (0.8–6.6) |
0.107 | 1.7 (0.7–5.4) |
0.0001 | 2.0 (0.7–7.2) |
0.002 | 1.8 (0.6–5.8) |
0.001 |
| Post | 1.9 (0.9–6.7) |
2.2 (0.8–8.2) |
2.2 (0.8–8.8) |
2.5 (0.7–6.4) |
2.5 (0.6–8.4) |
2.2 (0.8–6.8) |
|||||||
| Trapezius muscle—left side | Pre | 1.9 (0.7–4.5) |
0.065 | 1.9 (0.6–5.7) |
0.012 | 1.9 (0.6–6.5) |
0.004 | 2.1 (0.8–6.3) |
0.850 | 1.9 (1.0–6.4) |
0.001 | 2.1 (0.8–7.1) |
0.012 |
| Post | 2.0 (0.7–5.3) |
2.0 (0.8–10.1) |
2.2 (0.8–7.7) |
2.2 (0.8–5.8) |
2.2 (1.1–7.0) |
2.3 (1.1–6.0) |
|||||||
| Deltoid muscle—right side | Pre | 1.6 (0.7–2.7) |
0.061 | 1.4 (0.7–3.0) |
0.006 | 1.5 (0.8–3.1) |
0.018 | 1.4 (0.8–4.3) |
0.012 | 1.3 (0.7–2.6) |
0.001 | 1.3 (0.6–3.2) |
0.003 |
| Post | 1.7 (0.7–4.5) |
1.5 (1.0–4.6) |
1.6 (0.8–4.5) |
1.6 (0.7–5.1) |
1.6 (0.8–3.4) |
1.5 (1.0–3.7) |
|||||||
| Deltoid muscle—left side | Pre | 1.4 (0.7–3.0) |
0.156 | 1.1 (0.6–3.5) |
0.231 | 1.2 (0.8–3.5) |
0.002 | 1.3 (0.7–2.8) |
<0.0001 | 1.2 (0.7–2.6) |
0.029 | 1.4 (0.4–2.7) |
0.011 |
| Post | 1.5 (0.6–3.3) |
1.4 (0.6–2.9) |
1.4 (0.8–3.9) |
1.4 (0.8–3.7) |
1.4 (0.8–2.9) |
1.5 (0.7–2.9) |
|||||||
This table shows the results of algometry for each session, which was used to determine PPTs above the myofascial trigger points (mTrPs) of the trapezius and deltoid muscles. Three consecutive PPT measurements were performed separately for the two mTrPs in the trapezius muscles and for the two mTrPs of the deltoid muscles immediately before and after stimulation. The mean PPTs out of the second and third measurements were calculated in each subject for each point, thus discarding the first measurements.
Wilcoxon signed-rank test (with Bonferroni correction for multiple testing; statistically significant p-values after correction for multiple testing are printed in bold, statistically significant p-values that did not survive correction for multiple testing are printed in italics).