The Journal of Pain
Volume 11, Issue 7 , Pages 644-651 , July 2010

The Predetermined Sites of Examination for Tender Points in Fibromyalgia Syndrome Are Frequently Associated With Myofascial Trigger Points

  • Hong-You Ge

      Affiliations

    • Laboratory for Musculoskeletal Pain and Motor Control, Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, DK-9220, Denmark
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress reprint requests to Dr. Hong-You Ge, Center For Sensory-Motor Interaction, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7 D-3, DK-9220, Aalborg, Denmark.
  • ,
  • Ying Wang

      Affiliations

    • Laboratory for Musculoskeletal Pain and Motor Control, Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, DK-9220, Denmark
  • ,
  • Bente Danneskiold-Samsøe

      Affiliations

    • The Parker Institute, Frederiksberg Hospital, Frederiksberg, Denmark
  • ,
  • Thomas Graven-Nielsen

      Affiliations

    • Laboratory for Musculoskeletal Pain and Motor Control, Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, DK-9220, Denmark
  • ,
  • Lars Arendt-Nielsen

      Affiliations

    • Laboratory for Musculoskeletal Pain and Motor Control, Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, DK-9220, Denmark

Received 2 June 2009 ,Revised 25 September 2009 ,Accepted 2 October 2009.

References 

  1. Bengtsson A, Henriksson KG, Jorfeldt L, Kagedal B, Lennmarken C, Lindstrom F. Primary fibromyalgia: A clinical and laboratory study of 55 patients. Scand J Rheumatol. 1986;15:340–347
  2. Bennett R. Fibromyalgia: Present to future. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2005;7:371–376
  3. Bennett RM. Diagnostic criteria and differential diagnosis of the fibromyalgia syndrome. J Musculoskeletal Pain. 2004;12:59–64
  4. Bennett R. Myofascial pain syndromes and their evaluation. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2007;21:427–445
  5. Borg-Stein J. Management of peripheral pain generators in fibromyalgia. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2002;28:305–317
  6. Cummings M, Baldry P. Regional myofascial pain: diagnosis and management. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2007;21:367–387
  7. Fernandez-de-las-Penas C, Ge HY, Cuadrado ML, Madeleine P, Pareja JA, Arendt-Nielsen L. Bilateral pressure pain sensitivity mapping of the temporalis muscle in chronic tension-type headache. Headache. 2008;48:1067–1075
  8. Ge HY, Fernández-de-las-Peñas C, Arendt-Nielsen L. Sympathetic facilitation of hyperalgesia evoked from myofascial tender and trigger points in patients with unilateral shoulder pain. Clin Neurophysiol. 2006;117:1545–1550
  9. Ge HY, Zhang Y, Boudreau S, Yue SW, Arendt-Nielsen L. Induction of muscle cramps by nociceptive stimulation of latent myofascial trigger points. Exp Brain Res. 2008;187:623–629
  10. Ge HY, Fernandez-de-Las-Penas C, Madeleine P, Arendt-Nielsen L. Topographical mapping and mechanical pain sensitivity of myofascial trigger points in the infraspinatus muscle. Eur J Pain. 2008;12:859–865
  11. Gerwin RD. A review of myofascial pain and fibromyalgia-factors that promote their persistence. Acupunct Med. 2005;23:121
  12. Gerwin RD, Shannon S, Hong C, Hubbard D, Gevirtz R. Interrater reliability in myofascial trigger point examination. Pain. 1997;69:65–73
  13. Gracely RH, Grant MAB, Giesecke T. Evoked pain measures in fibromyalgia. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2003;17:593–609
  14. Graven-Nielsen T. Fundamentals of muscle pain, referred pain, and deep tissue hyperalgesia. Scand J Rheumatol. 2006;35:1–43
  15. Hubbard DR, Berkoff GM. Myofascial trigger points show spontaneous needle EMG activity. Spine. 1993;18:1803–1807
  16. Kosek E, Ekholm J, Hansson P. Increased pressure pain sensibility in fibromyalgia patients is located deep to the skin but not restricted to muscle tissue. Pain. 1995;63:335–339
  17. Laursen BS, Bajaj P, Olesen AS, Delmar C, Arendt-Nielsen L. Health related quality of life and quantitative pain measurement in females with chronic non-malignant pain. Eur J Pain. 2005;9:267–275
  18. Maquet D, Croisier JL, Demoulin C, Crielaard JM. Pressure pain thresholds of tender point sites in patients with fibromyalgia and in healthy controls. Eur J Pain. 2004;8:111–117
  19. Niddam DM, Chan RC, Lee SH, Yeh TC, Hsieh JC. Central representation of hyperalgesia from myofascial trigger point. Neuroimage. 2008;39:1299–1306
  20. Okifuji A, Turk D, Sinclair J, Starz T, Marcus D. A standardized manual tender point survey. I. Development and determination of a threshold point for the identification of positive tender points in fibromyalgia syndrome. J Rheumatol. 1997;24:377–383
  21. Shah JP, Danoff JV, Desai MJ, Parikh S, Nakamura LY, Phillips TM, et al. Biochemicals associated with pain and inflammation are elevated in sites near to and remote from active myofascial trigger points. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2008;89:16–23
  22. Simons DG, Travell JG, Simons LS. Travell & Simons Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual, Vol. 1. 2nd ed.. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1999;pp 4-155
  23. Simons DG. Fibrositis/fibromyalgia: A form of myofascial trigger points?. Am J Med. 1986;81:93–98
  24. Simons DG. Review of enigmatic MTrPs as a common cause of enigmatic musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2004;14:95–107
  25. Sorensen J, Graven-Nielsen T, Henriksson KG, Bengtsson M, Arendt-Nielsen L. Hyperexcitability in fibromyalgia. J Rheumatol. 1998;25:152–155
  26. Staud R, Smitherman ML. Peripheral and central sensitization in fibromyalgia: Pathogenetic role. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2002;6:259–266
  27. Staud R, Price DD, Robinson ME, Vierck CJ. Body pain area and pain-related negative affect predict clinical pain intensity in patients with fibromyalgia. J Pain. 2004;5:338–343
  28. Staud R, Vierck CJ, Robinson ME, Price DD. Overall fibromyalgia pain is predicted by ratings of local pain and pain-related negative affect–possible role of peripheral tissues. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2006;45:1409–1415
  29. Treaster D, Marras W, Burr D, Sheedy J, Hart D. Myofascial trigger point development from visual and postural stressors during computer work. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2006;16:115–124
  30. Vierck CJ. Mechanisms underlying development of spatially distributed chronic pain (fibromyalgia). Pain. 2006;124:242–263
  31. Wolfe F, Smythe HA, Yunus MB, Bennett RM, Bombardier C, Goldenberg DL, et al. The American College of Rheumatology 1990 Criteria for the Classification of Fibromyalgia. Report of the Multicenter Criteria Committee. Arthritis Rheum. 1990;33:160–172
  32. Wolfe F, Simons DG, Fricton J, Bennett RM, Goldenberg DL, Gerwin R, et al. The fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndromes: A preliminary study of tender points and trigger points in persons with fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome and no disease. J Rheumatol. 1992;19:944–951
  33. Wolfe F. What use are fibromyalgia control points?. J Rheumatol. 1998;25:546–550
  34. Zhang Y, Ge HY, Yue S, Kimura Y, Arendt-Nielsen L. Attenuated Skin Blood Flow Response to Nociceptive Stimulation of Latent Myofascial Trigger Points. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2009;90:325–332

 This research was supported by The American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association, Inc. The Oak Foundation is acknowledged for financial support to the Parker Institute. The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

PII: S1526-5900(09)00779-2

doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2009.10.006

The Journal of Pain
Volume 11, Issue 7 , Pages 644-651 , July 2010