1Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Chamarajanagar Institute of Medical Sciences, Chamarajanagar, Karnataka, India
2Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Vinayaka Mission's Kirupananda Variyar Medical College, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India
3Professor, Department of Physiology, Nellore Medical College & Hospital, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India
Pressure pain threshold (PPT) is defined as the minimum force applied which induces pain. Disturbance of sensory function can be a major feature of neurological illness. Objective measurement of the nature and degree of sensory disturbance is needed to understand and characterize the disorder. Among the many sensory modalities pain is the one which arttacts the patient to the physician. Pain is a complex sensory experience. Decrease in pain thresholds, increase in magnitude of sensation is useful for the clinician and researcher.
To evaluate gender differences of pain thresholds.
Forty five healthy males & forty five females in the age group of 18–22 years were included for the study. Informed consent & IEC was obtained. Pain threshold was measured by digital pressure algometer. Subjects were instructed to indicate when the pressure sensation begins to hurt, and they first feel pain, which was noted as the pain threshold. Pain thresholds were measured at different areas. Mean of such six were points was considered as Pain threshold.
The pain thresholds were significantly higher in men (3.02 ± 0.31) kg/cm2 as compared to women (2.51 ±0.26) kg/cm2 (p<0.05).
Pain thresholds in men were higher as compared to women. Pain thresholds can be determined by Digital Algometer, which is simpler, less time consuming, economical, easier to apply and non-invasive method. Pain threshold is a useful parameter for assessing response to the treatment, but not useful in diagnosis or even as a screening method.
Pain threshold, Algometer, Gender difference
