Gender Differences in Perception of Pain and Body Awareness in Athletes and Normally Active Subjects

Abstract

According to numbers of present studies pain perception is modifiable by physical activity. This result is important for establishing and using of non-invasive methods with few side effects for patients with chronic pain conditions. The PURPOSE of this study is to examine the gender differences in relationship between physical activity, body awareness and pain perception. METHODOLOGY: Psychological Questionnaires: Body Awareness Questionnaire that asks subjects to rate, on a 4 point scale, the degree to which they were currently experiencing symptoms of sympathetic arousal, State Trait Anger Scale, and State Trait Anxiety Scale. Objective methods (cold pressure test) are used only to determine the pain sensation and pain tolerance thresholds. The (VAS) represents pain as a continuum and is sensitive to change. OWN CONTRIBUTION AND RESULTS: The results of investigation support the idea of significant interaction between body awareness, perception of pain and physical activity. This relationship depends significantly on gender. The female non-athletes estimate the pain through VAS during cold pressor test as more intensive in comparison to female athletes and men from both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The complex, multi-element method for measuring pain used in this study is a useful model for studying effects of exercise on the perception of pain.