Me. Geisser et al., A TIME-SERIES ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AMBULATORY EMG, PAIN, AND STRESS IN CHRONIC LOW-BACK-PAIN, Biofeedback and self-regulation, 20(4), 1995, pp. 339-355
Twenty-one subjects with chronic back pain (CBP) participated in an am
bulatory electromyography (EMG) monitoring study to ascertain the rela
tionships between muscle activity, physical activity, psychosocial str
ess, and pain. A time-series analysis approach was adopted to investig
ate both immediate and lagged associations between these variables in
an attempt to determine potential causal relationships. Results for gr
oup relationships showed a significant relationship between physical a
ctivity and pain, self-report of stress and pain, but no relationship
between EMG activity and pain. A lagged relationship between physical
activity and pain was found, suggesting a causal relationship between
physical activity and pain. However no time lag was observed between s
tress and pain, hence no causal relationship can be elucidated. Analys
is at the individual level indicated stronger relationships between. s
everal combinations of these variables, highlighting the need to consi
der the heterogeneity of the CBP population and etiology of CBI! The u
se of ambulatory monitoring of pain, stress, and EMG is suggested as o
ne avenue to further explore the population's heterogeneity.