ABSTRACT
Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) has long been a clinical subject of interest. Myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) are loci of hyperirritability, which when subjected to mechanical pressure, give rise to characteristic patterns of referred pain. MPS in a single muscle with MTrPs may “metastasize” to involve other muscles, which are both contiguous and in other regions of the body. Although MPS can mimic multiple medical problems, people must first be certain that those problems are not present before they consider the presence of an MPS. The importance of specific training and experience in the determination of the various aspects of MPS, including taut bands and trigger points, is therefore not to be underestimated. The development of depression in other forms of chronic MPS appears to be less psychologically devastating. A caveat is that many times patients with a herniated disc will also have an MPS with TrPs referring pain.
