Open AccessDo Cardiorespiratory Variables Predict the Antinociceptive Effects of Deep and Slow Breathing?
Author(s) -
Zunhammer Matthias,
Eichhammer Peter,
Busch Volker
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
pain medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.893
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1526-4637
pISSN - 1526-2375
DOI - 10.1111/pme.12085
Subject(s) - cardiorespiratory fitness , medicine , heart rate , nociception , anesthesia , respiratory rate , crossover study , heart rate variability , breathing , physical therapy , blood pressure , placebo , receptor , alternative medicine , pathology
Abstract. Deep and slow breathing ( DSB ) is a central part of behavioral exercises used for acute and chronic pain management. Its mechanisms of action are incompletely understood. Objectives. 1) To test the effects of breathing frequency on experimental pain perception in a dose dependent fashion. 2) To test the effects of breathing frequency on cardiorespiratory variables hypothesized to mediate DSB analgesia. 3) To determine the potential of the cardiorespiratory variables to mediate antinociceptive DSB effects by regression analysis. Design. Single‐blind, randomized, crossover trial. Subjects. Twenty healthy participants. Interventions. Visually paced breathing at 0.14 Hz , 0.10 Hz , 0.06 Hz , and resting frequency.Outcome Measures. Cardiorespiratory variables: RR ‐interval (= 60 seconds/heart rate), standard deviation of the RR ‐interval ( SDRR ), and respiratory CO 2 . Experimental pain measures: heat pain thresholds, cold pain thresholds, pain intensity ratings, and pain unpleasantness ratings. Results. 1) There was no effect of DSB frequency on experimental pain perception. 2) SDRR and respiratory CO 2 were significantly modulated by DSB frequency, while RR ‐interval was not. 3) Baseline‐to‐ DSB and session‐to‐session differences in RR ‐interval significantly predicted pain perception within participants: Prolonged RR ‐intervals predicted lower pain ratings, while shortened RR ‐intervals predicted higher pain ratings. SDRR and respiratory CO 2 were not found to predict pain perception. Conclusions. The present study could not confirm hypotheses that the antinociceptive effects of DSB are related to changes in breathing frequency, heart rate variability, or hypoventilation/hyperventilation when applied as a short‐term intervention. It could confirm the notion that increased cardiac parasympathetic activity is associated with reduced pain perception.