Influence of Pain Associated with Musculoskeletal Disorders on Grip Force Timing

Study DesignRetrospective repeated-measures design.IntroductionPain is a common symptom associated with musculoskeletal conditions.PurposeThis study examined if pain resulting from a unilateral upper extremity musculoskeletal injury compromises the person's ability to rapidly initiate and release handgrip.MethodsDelays in initiating and releasing a handgrip were determined for 28 individuals with “low pain” and 12 individuals with “high pain” in the injured upper extremity. All participants had no pain in the uninjured upper extremity.ResultsThe high-pain group was 10% slower in initiating and releasing a grip than the low-pain group, in both injured and uninjured upper extremities, for both maximal and submaximal grips. In addition, delay in grip initiation was, on average, 8% longer for the injured than for the uninjured upper extremity.ConclusionsUnilateral musculoskeletal pain appears to delay grip initiation and relaxation bilaterally, perhaps due to a centrally mediated mechanism.Level of Evidencen/a.