Algometry has been used in the past decade for the detection of pressure pain threshold in different body sites, including bones, muscles and tendons. Patients with fibromyalgia, for instance, have been tested in clinical trials, attempting to quantify and characterize their pain through algometry. However, measurement tools adopted to test pain in fibromyalgia studies, for example, were based on the clinician’s impression of the patient’s state, thus not giving a precise measure (Cheatham et al., 2018).
However, most of the research that has been performed up until today did not have an easy and unified tool which could provide all the necessary details on pressure pain threshold. The stimulation for pressure pain threshold (PPT) assessment should be standard and repetitive to gain reliable results. It is recommended by DFNS to maintain the rate of 50KPa, which is very challenging without receiving any feedback. There is great need for a tool that can reach the highest precision of the parameters of the stimulation given to assess pressure pain threshold.
Medoc has brought a new tool into the market, the Computerized Pressure Algometer – AlgoMed for assessing deep tissue pain perception in muscle pain syndromes, as well as fibromyalgia. This new device, not only presents a high-level technology for pressure pain threshold detection, but also provides a software-based REAL TIME visual and auditory feedback to control and monitor applied pressure rates.
The AlgoMed allows stimulation of any body site, with an ergonomic handle for easy grip and a recording system for pressure threshold and tolerance tests. Test results can be mapped according to a predefined body site, and a customizable outcome-based color graphic report can be created, as well as comprehensive test statistics. This new technology will change the way algometry is used for pressure pain threshold and tolerance tests providing a significantly more accurate and detailed set of results, thus allowing for a more precise diagnosis and treatment plan.