Aftersensations and Lingering Pain After Examination in Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome

By
Richard J Berwick
David A Andersson
Andreas Goebel
Andrew Marshall
August 6, 2025
0 min

Pain Medicine

Objective:

To examine the perception of blunt pressure and 'pleasant touch' in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients, focusing on aftersensations and lingering pain, and their implications for clinical practice.

Key Findings:

FMS patients reported pain at lower pressure thresholds than healthy controls (median thresholds: 167 kPa for arms, 233 kPa for legs).
84% of patients experienced ongoing pain at the pressure application site 1 day post-testing, with 49% still in pain at 5 days.
77% of FMS patients reported aftersensations from brushstroke, compared to 25% of healthy controls; 34% of FMS patients found these aftersensations uncomfortable.

Interpretation:

Aftersensations after mechanical stimuli are common in FMS and may indicate a clinically distinct subgroup, associated with reduced pleasantness ratings for touch, which could impact treatment approaches.

Limitations:

Small sample size may limit generalizability.
Study focused on a specific cohort from a single pain management center, which may introduce selection bias.

Conclusion:

The study highlights the prevalence of aftersensations in FMS, suggesting a need for further exploration of this phenomenon in clinical practice to improve patient management.

Aftersensations and Lingering Pain After Examination in Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Objective:

Key Findings:

Interpretation:

Limitations:

Conclusion:

Original Source(s)

Aftersensations and Lingering Pain After Examination in Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome

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