• Evans DW
• De Nunzio AM

• Affiliation / University College of Osteopathy. Research Centre
• Affiliation / University of Birmingham. School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences. Centre of Precision Rehabilitation for Spinal Pain
• Affiliation / University of Birmingham. School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences. Centre of Precision Rehabilitation for Spinal Pain
• Affiliation(G) / England / Birmingham
• Affiliation(G) / England / London
• Affiliation(G) / Luxembourg / Differdange
• Open Access Document
• Pain Threshold
• Physical Examination
• Postsynaptic Potential Summation
• Pressure
• Psychophysics

Assessing the responses of body tissue subjected to mechanical load is a fundamental component of the clinical examination, psychophysical assessments and bioengineering research. The forces applied during such assessments are usually generated manually, via the hands of the tester, and aimed at discreet tissue sites. It is therefore desirable to objectively quantify and optimise the control of manually applied force. However, current laboratory-grade manual devices and commercial software packages, in particular pressure algometer systems, are generally inflexible and expensive. This paper introduces and discusses several principles that should be implemented as design goals within a flexible, generic software application, given currently available force measurement hardware. We also discuss pitfalls that clinicians and researchers might face when using current pressure algometer systems and provide examples of these. Finally, we present our implementation of a pressure algometer system that achieves these goals in an efficient and affordable way for researchers and clinicians. As part of this effort, we will be sharing our configurable software application via a software repository.

Author keywords: Clinical examination — Psychophysical — Force — Pressure — Algometer — Pain threshold — Temporal summation

Author affiliations: DWE: Centre of Precision Rehabilitation for Spinal Pain, School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England;DWE: Research Centre, University College of Osteopathy, London, England; AMdN: LUNEX International University of Health, Exercise and Sports, Differdange, Luxembourg

This abstract is reproduced with the permission of the publisher; Click on the above link for free full text. PubMed Record | PDF