Background: It remains unclear as to whether verbal suggestions and expectancies can influence the perception of post-needling soreness. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of verbal suggestions on post-needling soreness after dry needling of the trapezius muscle. Methods: This study is a randomized controlled trial including healthy subjects randomly assigned to one of three groups receiving different verbal suggestions about the effects of dry needling and the occurrence of post needling soreness (positive, negative, or neutral). Then, dry needling on a latent trigger point of the upper trapezius muscle was performed and the following outcomes were measured immediately after, 24, 48, and 72 h, and one week after the intervention: post-needling soreness intensity, pressure pain threshold (PPT), temporal summation (TS) and conditioned pain modulation (CPM). Results: Seventy-three consecutive participants were screened and 42 participants (12 men and 30 women, aged: 24 ± 8 years old) were eligible and finished the study protocol. The results showed that verbal suggestion did not influence the perception of post-needling soreness, since there were no differences between groups (p < 0.05) on the intensity of post-needling soreness or tenderness over a one-week follow-up. Moreover, verbal suggestion did not associate with changes in sensorimotor variables of TS and CPM. Conclusions: The induction of different types of expectations through verbal suggestion does not influence the perception of acute pain perceived during the performance of a deep dry needling technique and post-needling pain or soreness after deep dry needling on a latent upper trapezius myofascial trigger point (MTrP).

Background: Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by chronic pain and a complex array of symptoms, with neuroinflammation implicated in its pathophysiology. Methods: This study aimed to explore the association between neuroinflammation, measured through interleukin levels (IL-1, IL-6, IL-8), and clinical outcomes in FM patients. Using a cross-sectional study design, blood levels of these interleukins were correlated with pain severity and disability, assessed via the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and pain measures. Results: Results indicated that IL-6 and IL-8 may particularly serve as biomarkers for pain severity and disability in FM patients, showing significant associations with worse clinical outcomes. Elevated IL-8 levels, for instance, correlated strongly with increased pain perception and higher disability scores. Conclusions: These findings suggest that specific interleukins are not only elevated in FM but are actively involved in the modulation of pain and disability, underscoring the role of systemic neuroinflammation in the clinical severity of FM. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the inflammatory mechanisms in FM and underscores the potential of targeting interleukins in therapeutic strategies.

(1) Background: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) is a specific condition within the spectrum of musculoskeletal pain disorders, with an estimated global prevalence of 2%. Physical exercise has shown promise in modulating pain and improving physical function without the drawbacks of pharmacotherapy. This study aims to examine the effects of a 6-week telerehabilitation combined exercise program—including mobility, strength, and high-intensity exercises—on pain, psychological variables, and disability in women with fibromyalgia. (2) Methods: In this observational study involving 53 FM patients, the outcomes measured were the pressure pain threshold (PPT), the conditioned pain modulation (CPM) paradigm, levels of pain on the measurement day and the average of the last week (using NRS) the impact of the fibromyalgia (using Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), and anxiety (using the Spanish version of the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory—STAI). (3) Results: Statistically significant changes were observed in the intervention group in PPT, CPM, NRS, and FIQ. (4) Conclusions: A six-week telerehabilitation therapeutic exercise intervention consisting of two scheduled exercise sessions per week lasting approximately 45 min each is associated with reduced pain levels, enhanced pain inhibitory pathways, and a decreased impact of fibromyalgia compared to patients who do not adopt a more active lifestyle.

Background/Objectives: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a multifactorial pain syndrome not only characterized by widespread pain as the primary symptom but also accompanied by physical, psychological, and cognitive manifestations. Impairments in conditioned pain modulation (CPM) are common in this population; however, there is significant heterogeneity in the CPM response among women with FMS. The Left/Right Judgment Task (LRJT) is a validated method for studying motor imagery in chronic pain patients. Previous scientific evidence has not yet thoroughly investigated the relationship between CPM alterations and motor imagery processes in FMS patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between CPM and motor imagery. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study. Pain intensity (NPRS), disability (FIQ), mechanical hyperalgesia (PPT), descending pain modulation (CPM), and laterality discrimination (LRJT) were assessed in 30 women diagnosed with FMS. Participants were divided into two groups, responder and non-responder, according to their response to the CPM test. Results: Findings showed that the FMS subgroup of non-responders to CPM, performed worse in motor imagery processes (LRJT). Additionally, older age and higher mechanical hyperalgesia were also associated with poorer functioning of the inhibitory system. Conclusions: Women with FMS who are non-responders to CPM exhibit a reduced ability to perform motor imagery processes. Additionally, the non-responder group shown significant differences, such as older age and greater initial mechanical hyperalgesia compared to the responder group.

Objective: This study investigates the relationship between lower limb strength and postural stability in single-leg stance using the Balance Master system. Methods: The research involved 64 participants divided into sedentary and physically active groups based on metabolic equivalents of task (METs) values, normal weight, overweight, and obese according to body composition. Postural control was evaluated using the Sensory Organization Test. Results: The results showed that there were no significant differences in mean and maximum lower limb strength between the groups. Furthermore, postural stability in open and closed eyes conditions did not show significant differences between the groups. However, a significant positive correlation was observed between lower limb strength and stability in single-leg stance with eyes open. Conclusions: These findings suggest that lower limb muscle strength is essential for postural stability, especially when vision is available to aid balance. The study highlights the importance of interventions focused on strengthening muscles to improve physical functionality in adults.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome hypothesized to arise from a state of neurogenic inflammation. Mechanisms responsible for pain, as well as psychological variables, are typically altered in this condition. The main objective of this research was to explore somatosensory and psychological alterations in women with FM. The secondary objective was to carry out a secondary analysis to correlate the different variables studied and delve into the influences between them. The relationship between different psychological variables in fibromyalgia is not clear in the previous scientific literature. Forty-four individuals participated, of which twenty-two were controls and twenty-two were women with fibromyalgia. The main outcome measures were the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, pressure pain threshold, conditioned pain modulation, anxiety and depression symptoms, catastrophizing and kinesiophobia cognitions. The main analysis showed that there is a moderate correlation between the psychological variables of depression and fear of movement and the ability to modulate pain. There is also a moderately inverse correlation between pain catastrophizing cognitions and pain intensity/disability. Multiple moderate and strong correlations were found among the various psychological variables studied. FM patients exhibit somatosensory alterations alongside negative psychological symptoms that influence the experience of pain, and they may perpetuate the state of neurogenic inflammation.