Evaluation of patients with chronic pain disease and physically unimpaired persons
with use of physiological tremor and mechanomyogram．
1Toshifumi Dakeshita, 1Koichi Wakimoto, 1Toyoto Tatejima, 2Kazuyoshi Sakamoto
1Seisen Clinic of Orthopedics, Shizuoka, Japan; email: dakeshita@seisen.info
2
Center of Promotion of Alliances with Region, Industry and Government,
The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, JapanSUMMARY
In recent years, the chronic pain diseases were possible
to be evaluated by the physiological tremor andmechanomyogram from the standpoint of biomechanism,and this method of objective evaluation was found hereand there.
The purpose of this study is to establish an objective
index to clarify differences between physicallyunimpaired persons and patients with chronic pain
diseasebyusing
physiologicaltremorofmechanomyogram occurring within an organism.
A total of 69 subjects constituted this study. There were
20 physically unimpaired males and 49 patients withchronic pain disease.
The wireless system with three dimensional
acceleration’s sensor from CCI Inc (Type RE-ECG,MESI) was used to measure physiological tremor andmechanomyogram. The sensor was affixed tointerscapular region in the upright position and forward
bent position at 30 degrees.
Total power was significantly different in the uprightposition among the groups between physicallyunimpaired persons and patients with chronic pain
disease (P<0.01). Significant differences in total power
were also found in forward bent position at 30 degrees
among the groups too (P<0.01).
The patients with chronic pain disease had deviant total
power spectrum at particular frequency compared to thephysically unimpaired persons and their physiologicaltremor appeared excessively.

INTRODUCTION
There was no obvious cause of chronic pain disease. The
obvious cause of chronic pain disease is not still found.
The symptomatic therapy has been mainly taken.
Therefore, the main approach and treatment for thechronic pain disease have not established.
In recent years, the chronic pain diseases were possible
to be evaluated by the physiological tremor andmechanomyogram from the standpoint of biomechanism,and this method of objective evaluation was found hereand there.
The purpose of this study is to establish an objective
index to clarify differences between physicallyunimpaired persons and patients with chronic pain
disease by using physiological tremor ofmechanomyogram occurring within an organism.

METHODS
A total of 69 subjects constituted this study. There were
20 physically unimpaired males (mean age, 30.0±6.3years) and 49 patients with chronic pain disease (21males and 28 females, mean age, 59.3±19.7 years).
The wireless system with three dimensional
acceleration’s sensor from CCI Inc (Type RE-ECG,MESI) was used to measure physiological tremor andmechanomyogram. The sensor was affixed tointerscapular region in the upright position and forward
bent position at 30 degrees. The measuring time is taken
for three minutes. The original
waves of physiological tremor and mechanomyogram
were recorded as the acceleration waveform. Total
power was derived from sum of power spectra in thefrequency region set (1 Hz to 30Hz). Total power forpatients with chronic pain disease and physicallyunimpaired persons in conditions of standing arecompared.
The Welch’s T-test was used to analyze the data forpatients with chronic pain disease and physicallyunimpaired persons with a significance level of 0.01.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Total power was significantly different in the uprightposition among the groups between physicallyunimpaired persons and patients with chronic pain
disease (P<0.01) (Figure 1). Significant differences intotal power were also found in forward bent position at
30 degrees among the groups too (P<0.01) (Figure 2).

（m/sec2）2

Mean±SD＊＝P＜0.01

14

CONCLUSIONSThe patients with chronic pain disease had deviant total
power spectrum at particular frequency compared to thephysically unimpaired persons and their physiologicaltremor appeared excessively. Excessive physiologicaltremor indicates excitableness of both central nervous
system and spinal reflex. Mechanomyogram also showed
the similar tendency as the same as physiological tremor. It
is found that this excitableness is the possible factors tocause chronic pain disease.

12＊1086420

Physicallyunimpaired males

Patients withchronic pain disease

Figure 1: Evaluation of mechanomyogram in the uprightposition.

（m/sec2）2＊14

Mean±SD＊＝P＜0.01121086420

Physicallyunimpaired males

Findings suggest that the physiological tremor andmechanomyogram denote the objective index to find thedifference between patients with chronic pain disease andphysically unimpaired persons. Furthermore physiologicaltremor andmechanomyogram are able to apply to evaluate the effectof treatments for the patients. Future work will berequired to confirm them.

Patients withchronic pain disease

Figure 2: Evaluation of mechanomyogram in forward
bent position at 30 degrees.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This study was supported in part by Center of Promotion ofAlliances with Region, Industry and Government, The
University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, Japan.
We would like to express our gratitude to Dr Kazuyoshi
Sakamoto and all stuff of The University of ElectroCommunications, and all chronic pain patients who
participated in this study in spite of their painful conditions

REFERENCES
1. K.Sakamoto,et al, Biomechanism Library. Tremor andVibratory Perception in a Living Body Functional
Evaluation of Mechanical Vibration. Society ofBiomechanisms Japan. 2-8,2-66,2009