Recurrent hamstring injuries are highly prevalent amongst sporting populations. It has been hypothesised that pain from an initial hamstring injury may induce reorganisation of somatosensory representations that could contribute to reinjury. However, because of the cross-sectional nature of existing research, it remains unknown whether somatosensory changes are a cause or effect of pain or if they are driven by other potentially confounding factors. Here, we explored the effect of experimentally induced sustained hamstring pain on tasks that interrogate somatosensory and spatial representations. Fifty healthy participants were randomly allocated to an experimental group that performed an eccentric exercise protocol on the right hamstring to induce delayed onset muscle soreness or a control group performing a repetition-matched concentric exercise protocol. The tactile cortical representation was assessed using two-point discrimination and tactile localisation, whereas the proprioceptive representation was assessed using a left-right judgement task. Peripersonal spatial representations were assessed using an auditory localisation task. Assessments were performed at baseline and day 2. No between-group differences in tactile acuity were observed. However, improvements in left-right judgments and worsening of auditory localisation occurred in the experimental group compared with the control group. This study provides preliminary evidence showing that somatosensory changes occur in response to sustained hamstring pain. Experimentally induced, sustained hamstring pain elicited enhancements in proprioceptive processing and deficits in peripersonal spatial processing, suggesting a shift in the allocation of attentional resources from the external (peripersonal) to internal (body) environment. These findings may hold important implications for reinjury risk and rehabilitation following hamstring pain.

中文翻译：

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持续性腿筋疼痛与体感表征重组之间的关系：一项随机对照研究。


复发性腿筋损伤在运动人群中非常普遍。据推测，最初的腿筋损伤引起的疼痛可能会引起体感表征的重组，从而导致再次受伤。然而，由于现有研究的横断面性质，尚不清楚体感变化是否是疼痛的原因或影响，或者它们是否是由其他潜在的混杂因素驱动的。在这里，我们探讨了实验诱发的持续腿筋疼痛对询问体感和空间表征的任务的影响。五十名健康参与者被随机分配到一个实验组，该实验组对右腿筋执行偏心运动方案以诱导延迟性肌肉酸痛，或对照组执行重复匹配的同心运动方案。使用两点辨别和触觉定位来评估触觉皮质表征，而使用左右判断任务来评估本体感觉表征。使用听觉定位任务评估周围空间表征。在基线和第二天进行评估。没有观察到触觉敏锐度的组间差异。然而，与对照组相比，实验组的左右判断能力有所改善，听觉定位能力有所恶化。这项研究提供了初步证据，表明体感变化是针对持续的腿筋疼痛而发生的。 实验诱发的持续腿筋疼痛引起本体感觉处理的增强和周围空间处理的缺陷，这表明注意力资源的分配从外部（周围）环境到内部（身体）环境的转变。这些发现可能对腿筋疼痛后的再损伤风险和康复具有重要意义。