Sensitivity of the hand to surface pressure.

A new method of measuring pain-pressure threshold (PPT) of the hand has been developed. Externally applied surface pressure (EASP) was exerted at a certain rate of increase and the level where the feeling of pressure turned into pain was recorded. Also, the effects of sustained EASP were elucidated. Sixteen healthy right-handed subjects (eight female, eight male) participated. The distribution of the hand's sensitivity to EASP is presented. The most sensitive areas were the thenar area, the skinfold between thumb and index finger and the area around os pisiforme. When the hand was repeatedly exposed to EASP, the PPT decreased with increasing number of pressure incidents. For sustained EASP, the time of exposure was found to be important also for the quality of the sensation. Our results show that sustained EASP does not hurt at once, but becomes painful after a short time. On average, the female PPT corresponded to two-thirds of the male PPT. Females experienced pain faster than males when exposed to sustained EASP, and chose lower levels when estimating acceptable sustained EASP.