Pain in the arms induced by markedly increased intravascular pressure decreases after repeated exposures to moderately increased pressures.

It is well documented that exposure to high gravitational (G)-load in the head-to-foot direction may induce arm pain. Such G-induced arm pain is of vascular origin and caused by markedly increased pressure in the arm vessels. It has been hypothesized that the arm pain is due to pressure-induced overdistension of local blood vessels. Indeed, elevation of local intravascular pressure to levels that induce considerable arm pain results in distension of both veins and arteries. There appears to be a paucity of data regarding the effects of repeatedly increasing intravascular pressure in the arms. Accordingly, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of iterative exposures to moderate pressure elevations in the arm vessels (here termed "pressure training") on the pressure distension relationships of the vessels and on pressure-induced arm pain. To experimentally induce increased transmural pressure over the vessel walls of the arms we used a modified version of a method described elsewhere; this method has also proven a useful tool for simulating G-induced arm pain.