A 5-week inspiratory muscle strength-training program was implemented using a pressure-threshold trainer to strengthen the inspiratory muscles with the intent of enabling the generation of higher inspiratory pressures.
As shown in Figure 1, these three sites were measured for pressure pain threshold using a pressure algometer: Site A is the assumed A-TrP site, Site B is the assumed MTrP site, and Site C, the muscle-tendon junction site, acted as the control site.
Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) were measured using a pressure algometer (Somedic AB, Farsta, Sweden).
Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) were measured using a pressure algometer (FDK20, Wagner Instruments, Greenwich, CT, USA) with a range between 2 and 20 kg.
Mechanical hyperalgesia was assessed on day 22 by measuring the paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) as previously described [ 14] using a pressure analgesymeter (Unicom, Chiba, Japan).
The pressure pain threshold of the rectus femoris muscle was determined using a pressure algometer (Wagner Instruments, FPX 50/220), which was validated in a study by Kinser et al. [ 19].
Pressure pain threshold levels on the painful/most painful or dominant side of the neck-shoulder region were assessed using a pressure algometer at an application rate of 30 kPa/sec (Somedic, Hörby, Sweden).
Pressure pain thresholds, which are a measure of pain sensitivity, are measured on the volar forearm before surgery, on discharge from hospital, and 12-month post-operative using a pressure algometer (Somedic, Sweden).
