The Effect of Exercise on Pain Sensitivity in a Population With Ongoing Neck Pain Compared to Healthy Controls

Inclusion Criteria: - Healthy participants * Pain free healthy participants * Able to speak, read and understand Danish and English Exclusion Criteria: - Healthy participants * Pain from the neck or shoulder area during the past 6 months * Experience of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) during the week leading up to the test session * Former surgery in neck or shoulder * Current or previous chronic or recurrent pain condition * Pregnancy * Drug addiction defined as the use of cannabis, opioids or other drugs * Previous neurologic, musculoskeletal or mental illnesses * Regular use of analgesics * Abnormally disrupted sleep in the last 24 hours preceding the experiment * Lack of ability to cooperate Inclusion Criteria: - Neck pain population * Self reported neck pain lasting three months or longer. * Able to speak, read and understand Danish and English * Reduced/painful active range of motion of the head and/or painful reaction to palpation of the neck at the time of inclusion Exclusion Criteria: - Neck pain population * Shoulder pain during arm movements * Experience of DOMS during the week leading up to the test session * Former surgery in neck or shoulder * Current or previous chronic or recurrent pain condition other than neck pain * Pregnancy * Drug addiction defined as the use of cannabis, opioids or other drugs * Previous neurologic, musculoskeletal or mental illnesses * Abnormally disrupted sleep in the 24 hours preceding the experiment * Lack of ability to cooperate