Fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, tender points and trigger points: Splitting or lumping?

Robert M. Bennett, Don L. Goldenberg

Research output: Contribution to journalEditorialpeer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

Myofascial trigger points (MTPs) have long been a contentious issue in relation to fibromyalgia, and poorly defined pain complaints in general. Can MTPs be reproducibly identified? Do MTPs have valid objective findings, such as spontaneous electromyographic activity, muscle microdialysis evidence for an inflammatory milieu or visualization with newer ultrasound techniques? Is fibromyalgia a syndrome of multiple MTPs, or is focal muscle tenderness a manifestation of central sensitization? These issues are discussed with relevance to a recent paper reporting that manual palpation of active MTPs elicits the spontaneous pain experienced by fibromyalgia patients.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number117
JournalArthritis Research and Therapy
Volume13
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 30 2011
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Rheumatology
  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Immunology

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