(English) Episode 230-Pain Is Static That Makes Muscles Wobble

This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates how musculoskeletal pain impacts an individual’s ability to maintain force steadiness during voluntary muscle contractions. The researchers analyzed 32 studies to determine if clinical pain or experimentally induced pain degrades neuromuscular control and precision. Their findings suggest that pain interferes with proprioception and the neural drive to muscles, leading to increased variability in force output. This instability can compromise joint stability and coordination, potentially necessitating specialized steadiness training in rehabilitation. Ultimately, the paper provides a physiological overview of how nociceptive signals disrupt the smooth execution of submaximal movements.(Arvanitidis M, Falla D, Sanderson A, Martinez-Valdes E. Does pain influence control of muscle force? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Pain [Internet]. 2025;29(2):e4716. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ejp.4716)