Pain Sensitivity

Pain sensitivity research shows that many musculoskeletal pain conditions are associated with heightened sensitivity when compared with healthy people. The pattern is not the same for everyone: fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome often show more widespread sensitivity, while other conditions may be more localized. Research also shows important subgroups within the same diagnosis, with different sensory profiles and responses to different stimuli. Examples are given from cervical radiculopathy, non-specific arm pain, and low back pain. These groups can include people with normal sensory findings, sensory gain, sensory loss, or a combination of both. In low back pain, different sensitivity patterns were also linked to broader features such as sex, depression, sleep disturbance, temporal summation, and daily activity levels. The session then explains how quantitative sensory testing may help with prognosis. Evidence from a systematic review suggests sensory findings are weak predictors of future pain and disability. Early treatment research is mixed, but some studies suggest heightened pain sensitivity may be linked to poorer outcomes in physiotherapy, while specific sensory phenotypes may respond better to certain medications. It concludes by moving toward brain-related changes in persistent pain.