Laura A. Frey Law, MPT, MS, PhD
Introduction
My research follows two primary lines of investigation: 1) Factors that contribute to pain heterogeneity including: sex, psychological traits, genetics, activity level, etc. To study this question, we use experimental pain models in humans: intramuscular infusion of an acidic phosphate buffer into the anterior tibialis muscle, cold pressor task (hand immersion in ice water), or isolated muscle fatigue (isometric contraction to failure). We also utilize surveys of pain perceptions and self-reported personality responses. In particular we are focusing on why women appear to have a higher risk of referred pain with the muscle pain model (~80%) whereas men are less likely to experience referred pain (~45%) despite similar local infusion-site pain. 2) Strength and fatigue research: We are working with the Virtual Soldier Research (VSR) group to develop mathematical models of normal strength and fatigue, using both static and dynamic strength indices. In addition we are studying whether clear differences in fatigue with aging, by muscle group, or between sexes exist, and the potential interactions between these variables.
Current Positions
- Professor of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science
Education
- BSE in Biomedical Engineering, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
- MPT in Physical Therapy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
- MS in Bioengineering, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- PhD in Physical Rehabilitation Science, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
Research Interests
- Influence of individual differences (sex, genetic, and personality) on the perception of pain in healthy and patient populations
- Associations between physical activity and pain sensitivity in healthy and patient populations.
- Investigating muscle co-contraction activation patterns in healthy populations and in individuals with or at-risk for knee osteoarthritis (OA).
- Identifying how quantitative sensory testing (QST) of pain relates to experimental and clinical pain characteristics.
- Modeling muscle strength (3D torque-velocity-position relationships) and fatigue, including factors predictive of fatigue development
Licenses & Certifications
- Physical Therapy #03133, Iowa Department of Public Health Bureau of Professional Licensure (Board of Physical and Occupational Therapy), Iowa
Selected Publications
- Wiederien RC, Wang D, Frey Law LA. Assessing how individuals conceptualize numeric pain ratings: validity and reliability of the Pain Schema Inventory (PSI-6) Short Form. Front Pain Res (Lausanne). 2024 Aug 5:5:1415635. doi: 10.3389/fpain.2024.1415635. eCollection 2024
- Walia A, Markfort C, Frey Law LA. Assessment of Multisensory Sensitivity May Assist With the Management of Children With Chronic Pain. Pediatrics 2024;153(5):32023061840. doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-061840.
- Gupta A, Frey Law LA. Editorial: Insight in musculoskeletal pain-2023. Front Pain Res (Lausanne). 2024 Apr 17;5:1411879. doi: 10.3389/fpain.2024.1411879. PMID: 38693962. PMCID: PMC11061523.
- Aoyagi K, Jafarzadeh SR, Carlesso L, Frey Law LA, Lewis CE, Nevitt M, Neogi T. Mediating Effect of Pain Sensitization on the Paradoxical Relation of Taking Opioids to Pain Severity in Knee Osteoarthritis: The Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2024 Mar;76(3):403-408. PMID: 37750238. PMCID: PMC10922135. doi: 10.1002/acr.25244.
- Siaton BC, Hogans BB, Frey Law LA, Brown LM, Herndon CM, Buenaver LF. Pain, comorbidities, and clinical decision-making: conceptualization, development, and pilot testing of the Pain in Aging, Educational Assessment of Need instrument. Front Pain Res (Lausanne). 2024 Feb 22:5:1254792. doi: 10.3389/fpain.2024.1254792. eCollection 2024. PMID: 38455875. PMCID: PMC10918012
- Lee S, Neogi T, Costello KE, Senderling B, Stefanik JJ, Frey Law LA, Kumar D. Association of mechanical temporal summation of pain with muscle co-contraction during walking in people with knee osteoarthritis. Clin Biomech. 2023 Dec 110: 106105. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2023.106105.
- Neelapala YVR, Neogi T, Kumar D, Jarraya M, Macedo L, Kobsar D, Hanna S, Frey Law LA, Lewis CE, Nevitt M, Appleton T, Birmingham T, Carlesso L. Exploring Different Models of Pain Phenotypes and Their Association with Pain Worsening in People with Early Knee Osteoarthritis: The MOST Cohort Study. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2023 Sep 12;S1063-4584(23)00914-7. PMID: 37709187. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2023.09.003.
- Sluka KA, Wager TD, Sutherland SP, Labosky PA, Balach T, Bayman EO, Berardi G, Brummett CM, Burns J, Buvanendran A, Caffo B, Calhoun VD, Clauw D, Chang A, Coffey CS, Dailey DL, Ecklund D, Fiehn O, Fisch KM, Frey Law LA, Harris RE, Harte SE, Howard TD, Jacobs J, Jacobs JM, Jepsen K, Johnston N, Langefeld CD, Laurent LC, Lenzi R, Lindquist MA, Lokshin A, Kahn A, McCarthy RJ, Olivier M, Porter L, Qian W-J, Sankar CA, Satterlee J, Swensen AC, Vance CGT, Waljee J, Wandner LD, Williams DA, Wixson RL, Zhou ZJ, A2CPS Consortium. Predicting chronic postsurgical pain: current evidence and a novel program to develop predictive biomarker signatures. Pain. 2023 Sep 1;164(9):1912-1926. PMID: 37326643. PMCID: PMC10436261. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002938. Epub 2023 Jun 15.
- Janowski AJ, Post AA, Heredia-Rizo AM, Mosby H, Dao M, Frey Law LA, Bayman EO, Wilken JM, Sluka KA, Chimenti RL. Patterns of movement-evoked pain during tendon loading and stretching tasks in Achilles tendinopathy: A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2023 Aug 18;109:106073. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2023.106073. PMID: 37657267. Online ahead of print.
- Corrigan P, Neogi T, Frey Law LA, Jafarzadeh SR, Segal N, Nevitt MC, Lewis CE, Stefanik JJ. Relation of pain sensitization to self-reported and performance-based measures of physical functioning: the Multicenter Osteoarthritis (MOST) study. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2023 Jul;31(7):966-975. PMID: 37003421. PMCID: PMC10330303. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2023.03.011. Epub 2023 Mar 31.