ABSTRACT
This chapter presents all aspects and details of the diagnosis and treatment of trigger points (TrPs). There are active TrPs which are of origin and cause pain. Latent TrPs are active TrPs on semi-retirement. They may remain silent but reactivate with muscle stain. TrPs may be related to underlying problems such as a herniated disc, neurologic illness, gall stones, and internal organ disease. Active ones are more common in athletes and younger persons. Latent ones are more common in older persons, especially more sedentary middle-age persons. Patients with psychogenic or psychiatric pain states feel intimidated by improvement. In the authors review of such cases, commonly the patient has undergone multiple specialty examinations and numerous tests with the result that “no organic cause for the pain can be found.” It all means that a soft tissue diagnosis was overlooked. Insurers, employers, and sometimes the patient question the patient’s state of mind.
