A study comparing pain pressure threshold differences between men and women

David Canenara                                                                                              Supervisor: Edward Wilmott 

Abstract

The study reveals the difference exists between different genders. Skeletal injuries, job type and lifestyle in pressure pain threshold (PPTS) that It also discusses other contributing factors cycle, previous. A mechanical algometer was utilized to quantify the PPTs of each group.

Each group consisted of 40 men and 40 women. Measurements were taken site. A two- male analysis of variance (ANOVA) was also utilized to compare results from three or more conditions with matched ``or unmatched subject’s numbers. The ANOVA was followed by a Turnkey-Kramer post-lest. The study findings suggest that there s significant difference in PPT between the compared genders and ages to the subjects. It also demonstrated that subject who are involved in more physical activities have significant higher mean PPm when compared to the subjects who are less physically active.

The results also revealed that there is also a difference fl PPTs when ethnicity backgrounds are compared. White Caucasian subjects demonstrated significant higher mean pressure pain threshold (PPTS) when compared to the Asian group. Subjects who had suffered a muscle-skeletal injury to the examined shoulder showed significant lower mean PPTs when compared to those who had not experienced one. 

Female subjects in groups who were menstruating during the experiment or the week before demonstrated significant lower mean PPTs when compared to the women who had their menstruation two or three weeks before the readings were taken. 

The study concludes that there is a difference in PPTs. There are several other factors that contribute towards PPTs that need and investigated when treating a patient. Better understanding of a patient’s background would assist the osteopaths in their assessment and treatment.