Understanding Myofascial Pain Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Myofascial pain syndrome is a general term used to describe pain or other dysfunctions in the network of muscles, tendons, and ligaments and other soft connective tissue that holds our bodies together. At Joint Rehab, we specialize in diagnosing and treating myofascial pain syndrome to help you regain pain-free movement and function.

How Myofascial Pain Syndrome Develops

Myofascial pain may start abruptly or gradually. Abrupt onset is usually the result of trauma to the muscle, such as a sudden overload or over-extension, while a gradual onset is due to chronic overload, virus, or other disease, or psychogenic stress.

Understanding the various symptoms of myofascial pain syndrome—such as whether it occurs at rest or during activity, what muscles it is related to, whether it is primary or referred, and countless other factors—allows our doctors to isolate the problem and treat it with trigger point injections or with Prolotherapy.

Treatment Options: Prolotherapy and Trigger Point Therapy

Prolotherapy and trigger point therapy are essentially the same technique for treating myofascial pain syndrome. Both Prolotherapy and trigger point injections can reduce or eliminate pain and result in the growth of new cells to support weakened ligaments and tendons.

Although generally safe and effective, there are cases where trigger point injection therapy for myofascial pain syndrome just will not do the trick. Some of the more common reasons include cases involving stress due to psychological factors, chronic infection, skeletal asymmetry, nutritional deficiencies, metabolic problems, allergy, or disease. In many cases involving skeletal misalignment, or myofascial pain syndrome, Prolotherapy may offer the only effective cure.

Understanding Trigger Points and Tender Points in Myofascial Pain Syndrome

A normal healthy body contains an intricate framework of bones and cartilage supported in perfect harmony by a network of semi-elastic tissues, mainly tendons and ligaments. Dysfunction in these tissues causes a wide variety of problems related to myofascial pain syndrome.

When the tendons or ligaments, which anchor the structure, are weakened or damaged, the stress and friction created by the misalignment of joints results in chronic pain. Similar stresses can be caused by the action of dysfunctional muscles, tendons, or ligaments containing problem areas known as “trigger points” or “tender points”—hyper-irritable, painful soft tissue areas. Normal healthy soft tissue does not contain trigger or tender points.

Active Trigger Points and Primary Pain

The source of muscle pain is called the active trigger point. In some cases, the pain occurs directly in the active trigger point that caused it. This is called a primary trigger point. Pain can also manifest in distant areas away from the active trigger point. Such pain is called referred pain, and understanding these patterns can help identify the root cause of your discomfort.

Secondary and Satellite Trigger Points

A secondary trigger point is a hyperirritable spot in a muscle or fascia that became active because the muscle (in which it manifests) has an antagonistic or a synergistic relationship with the muscle actually triggering the pain. That is, it works with, or against, the muscle which hosts the primary trigger point. A satellite trigger point is simply one that receives pain because it is located in a zone of reference linked directly to the active trigger point, an area known as the essential pain zone. There are also areas known as spillover pain zones that receive pain signals that spill out beyond the normal boundaries of the essential pain zone where it originates.

Latent Trigger Points and Myofascial Pain Syndrome Symptoms

Besides the pain caused by active trigger points, there are symptoms other than pain that are caused by latent trigger points. Some common latent symptoms of myofascial pain syndrome include weakness, stiffness or restriction of movement. According to Mayo Clinic’s research on muscle disorders, both active and latent trigger points cause dysfunction—but only active ones cause pain.

Comprehensive Approach to Managing Myofascial Pain Syndrome

A normal healthy body contains an intricate framework of bones and cartilage supported in perfect harmony by a network of semi-elastic tissues, mainly tendons and ligaments. Dysfunction in these tissues causes a wide variety of problems, particularly in cases of myofascial pain syndrome.

When the tendons or ligaments, which anchor the structure, are weakened or damaged, the stress and friction created by the misalignment of joints results in chronic myofascial pain syndrome. Similar stresses can be caused by the action of dysfunctional muscles, tendons, or ligaments containing problem areas known as “trigger points” or “tender points”—hyperirritable, painful soft tissue areas. Normal healthy soft tissue does not contain trigger or tender points.

Our team at Joint Rehab understands the complexity of myofascial pain syndrome and works with you to develop a personalized treatment plan. Whether your myofascial pain syndrome requires trigger point therapy, Prolotherapy, or a combination of approaches, we’re here to help you achieve lasting relief and restore your quality of life.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn how we can help you manage your myofascial pain syndrome effectively.