K.A. Sluka, D.A. Skyba, R. Radhakrishnan, B.J. Leeper, A. Wright
The authors of this article hypothesized that joint mobilization would reduce the bilateral hyperalgesia induced by muscle and joint inflammation. Mechanical hyperalgesia was measured by examining the mechanical withdrawal threshold of the rat’s paw before and after induction of inflammation. The results showed that unilateral joint mobilization reduces bilateral hyperalgesia induced by chronic muscle or joint inflammation.It concludes by stating that understanding the pain conditions in which mobilization produces an analgesic effect should assist the clinician in selecting appropriate treatment techniques and the bilateral effect suggests that central mechanisms could mediate the analgesia.
The Journal of Pain, Vol 7 No 8, August 2006, 602 – 607