Abstract

EFFECT OF PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTORS ON PAIN TOLERANCE OF HEALTHY LEBANESE ADULTS DURING ICE WATER TEST

Mohamad Ezzedine*, Fadi Abdel Sater, Khodor Haidar Hassan, Aya Zeaiter, Mohammad Ali Chahrour

ABSTRACT

Background: Pain tolerance is the maximum intensity of a pain-producing stimulus that a subject is willing to accept in a given situation. There are large differences in susceptibility to pain among patients. This is a result of many physiological factors which influence on the communication between our brain and body. Sex and age differences have been studied and ice water test is made in order to stimulate pain depending on heat. The aim of this study is to make a statistical survey about pain tolerance on Lebanese population coming from different regions divided based on their age and gender. Methods: Pain tolerance was examined in 63 healthy participants (33 males and 30 females) and divided into four age groups (20-25, 25-30,30-35, 35-40 years-old and three males above 40 years-old). They submerged their two hands in separated time in the ice water of temperature of approximately 1˚C. Pain tolerance and pain threshold were recorded for the two hands. Results: Analysis revealed that pain tolerance is significantly higher in males than in females (Pvalue=0.0018) and that there is no significant difference of pain tolerance between age groups. Furthermore, pour analysis shows there is a positive strong significant correlation between pain tolerance and pain threshold (Pvalue

Keywords: Pain Tolerance, Age, Gender, Pain Threshold.