1. Home
  2. People

Kathleen Sluka, PT, PhD, FAPTA

Professor of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science

Introduction

Dr. Sluka's laboratory studies the peripheral and central mechanisms of chronic musculoskeletal pain, and non-pharmacological treatment for chronic pain. These studies involve the use of animal models of muscle pain developed and characterized in Dr. Sluka's laboratory, as well as projects in human subjects. We use a variety of techniques to address these questions including cell culture, molecular biology, genetic manipulations, behavioral pharmacology, and standard clinical trial methodology. Our overall goals are to improve the management of pain for people with a variety of musculoskeletal pain conditions by discovering the underlying mechanisms that lead to the development of chronic pain, discovering new therapies for pain management, and improving the use of currently available treatment for pain.

Current Positions

  • Professor of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science
  • Professor of Neuroscience and Pharmacology

Education

  • PhD (Anatomy), University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
  • BS (Physical Therapy), Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia

Graduate Program Affiliations

Center, Program and Institute Affiliations

Research Interests

  • My research focuses on determining the underlying mechanisms for the transition from acute to chronic pain and the mechanisms that maintain chronic pain. We perform basic neurobiological techniques to examine the role of the immune system, the peripheral nervous system, and the central nervous system in this process. We also translate these findings to that in clinical pain populations.
  • My research focuses on non-pharmacological treatments for pain. We discover the underlying mechanisms using basic science techniques in animal models, translate these finding to patient populations with pain, and improve implementation in primary care. Our goal is to improve usage of safe, effective non-pharmacological treatments for pain. Our current projects are focused on TENS and exercise therapy.
  • Recent work has begun to focus on the symptom of fatigue in the chronic pain population. In animals we are examining the interactions between fatigue metabolites and nociceptors, and how they generate hyperalgesia. In human subjects we are examining resting fatigue and activity-induced fatigue and looking for biomarkers of these two different constructs in human populations. Ultimately, we will apply non-pharmacological interventions to address fatigue in a clinical population.

Licenses & Certifications

  • Physical Therapy #02557, Iowa Department of Public Health Bureau of Professional Licensure (Board of Physical and Occupational Therapy), Iowa

Selected Publications

  • Curtis L, Morain S, O’Rourke P, Staman K, Jarvik JG, Cheville A, Dailey DL, Sluka KA, Heagerty P, Melnick ER, Chakraborty H, Tulsky JA, Volandes A, Simon GE. Monitoring in Pragmatic Trials: Lessons from the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory. Contemp Clin Trials. 2025 Feb 25:152.107866. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2025.107866. PMID: 40015598
  • Marsolo KA, Cheville A, Melnick ER, Jarvik JG, Simon GE, Sluka KA, Crofford LJ, Staman KL, Richesson RL, Schlaeger JM, Curtis LH. Impact of Electronic Health Record Updates and Changes on the Delivery and Monitoring of Interventions in Embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 2025 148:107744.
  • Frey Law LA, Merkle SL, Dailey D, Sluka KA. Nonlinear modification to Hildebrand equation for accelerometry assessment of physical activity: improved accuracy for low activity levels. Explor Musculoskeletal Dis. 2024;2:408-422
  • Plumb AN, Hayashi K, Janowski A, Smith A, Rasmussen L, Sluka KA, Lesnak JB. Pregabalin produces analgesia in males but not females in an animal model of chronic widespread muscle pain Pain Rep. 2024 Nov 20:9(6):e1207. doi: 10.1097/PR9.0000000000001207. PMID: 39574484
  • Cheville AL, Patil C, Boyd AD, Crofford L, Dailey D, de Martelly V, Del Fiol G, Ezenwa M, Faurot K, Knisely M, McLeod K, Morone N, O’Brien E, Gonzalez-Guarda R, Sluka KA, Staman K, Thackeray A, Zigler C, Schlaeger J. Special Section on Patient-Reported Outcomes and Informatics: Collection of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Rural and Underserved Populations. Appl Clin Inform. 2024 Nov 7. doi: 10.1055/a-2462-8699. PMID: 39510534. Online ahead of print.
  • Plumb AN, Lesnak JB, Rasmussen L, Sluka KA. Female specific interactions of serotonin and testosterone in the rostral ventromedial medulla after activity-induced muscle pain. J Pain. 2024 Nov 8:104723. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2024.104723. PMID: 39522853.
  • Van Gorp B, Lesnak J, Fleagle T, Hulshizer K, Nielsen-Wise A, Kestel L, Vance C, Sluka KA. Categories of the Patient-Specific Functional Scale Activities in Chronic Neck Pain and Their Relationship to the Neck Disability Index. Rehabil Res Pract. 2024 Sep 23;2024:3126892. doi: 10.1155/2024/3126892. eCollection 2024.
  • Plumb AN, Lesnak JB, Kolling LJ, Marcinkiewcz CA, Sluka KA Local Synthesis of Estradiol in the Rostral Ventromedial Medulla Protects against Widespread Muscle Pain in Male Mice. eNeuro. 2024 Aug 28;11(8):ENEURO.0332-24.2024. doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0332-24.2024
  • Berardi G, Dailey DL, Chimenti RL, Merriwether E, Vance CGT, Rakel BA, Crofford LJ, Sluka KA. Influence of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) on Pressure Pain Thresholds and Conditioned Pain Modulation in a Randomized Controlled Trial in Women With Fibromyalgia. J Pain. 2024 Jun;25(6):104452. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2023.12.009. PMID:38154621.
  • Janowski AJ, Berardi G, Hayashi K, Plumb AN, Lesnak JB, Khataei T, Martin B, Benson CJ, Sluka KA. The influence of sex on activity in voluntary wheel running, forced treadmill running, and open field testing. Res Sq [Preprint]. 2024 May 14:rs.3.rs-4365992. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4365992/v1. PMID: 38798501; PMCID: PMC11118703.