Current opinion in supportive and palliative care
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Curr Opin Support Palliat Care · Sep 2019
Myofascial pain syndrome and trigger points: evaluation and treatment in patients with musculoskeletal pain.
Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic pain condition characterized by the presence of myofascial trigger point, a hyperirritable painful spot involving a limited number of muscle fibers. The literature suggest that myofascial trigger points should be considered peripheral pain generators and this critical review will summarize recent findings concerning the clinical evaluation and the treatment of myofascial trigger points. ⋯ The myofascial trigger point phenomenon has good face validity and is clinically relevant. Clinicians are encouraged to consider the contribution of myofascial trigger points to the patient's pain and disability through a careful medical history and a specific manual examination. Patients with myofascial trigger points will benefit from a multimodal treatment plan including dry needling and manual therapy techniques. Internal and external validity of research within the field must be improved.