Comparison of pain tolerance in different age group in community dwelling normal healthy adults

Abstract

Introduction: Pain Tolerance is that greater level of stimulus at which the subject request stimulus cessation . Various factors responsible for variation in pain tolerance are-Method of experimental pain induction, age, gender, race, and exercise, Different levels of anxiety, depression, or previous painful experiences of each subject can alter the reports of pain. The common ways to induce experimental pain in pain tolerance and threshold assessment studies are pressure, thermal, electrical, laser, cold induced pain. We in present study have use pain induced by pressure. Note that pain in these experimental study designs refers to the somatosensory aspect of pain. Aim: To compare pain tolerance in different age group in community dwelling normal healthy adults. Method: 90 asymptomatic community dwelling normal healthy adults were tested. Pressure algometer was used to measure pain tolerance. Algometer was placed on dorsal surface of middle segment of distal phalanges of middle finger. Initial reading of algometer should be 0 lbs. Pressure should be progressively increased until maximum pain which subject can experienced is reached. Subject should be instructed to announce stop verbally at that point and experimenter immediately retracts the algometer. Three readings were taken best of three was selected. Conclusion: For experimental induced pain by pressure- In community dwelling normal healthy adults pain tolerance decreases with an increase in age with maximum tolerance in age group ranging from 15-24 (young adult) and minimum in 45-64(old adult) and is not affected by sex of adult