The Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) with a Trigger Point is a regionalized pain syndrome affecting a skeletal muscle. A myofascial trigger point is a hyperirritable focus within a taut band of skeletal muscle, and stimulation of this point results in the sensory, motor and autonomic symptoms experienced by the patient. Simons et al listed criteria for the recognition of such a trigger point.
Essential criteria:
(1) presence of a palpable, taut band in a skeletal muscle or its fascia
(2) presence of a nodule in the taut band that shows exquisite point tenderness
(3) pressure on the nodule elicits pain consistent with the patient's complaint
(4) the range of motion for the muscle is restricted because of pain that occurs when the band is stretched
Confirmatory features:
(1) demonstration of the local twitch response
(2) demonstration by EMG of electrical activity in nodule characteristic for active locus
(3) compression on the nodule results in pain and/or altered sensation within a distribution consistent with expectations for a trigger point at that location
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