AIM Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a frequent cause of chronic muscoloskeletal pain. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is one of the most frequently employed treatments in MPS. The aim of this study is to compare the short and medium-term effects of frequency modulated neural stimulation (FREMS) to those of TENS in MPS. METHODS Forty subjects with upper trapezius MPS were ...

Differential diagnosis of posterior neck pain is very challenging based on symptoms and physical examination only. Retropharyngeal calcific tendinitis is a rare and frequently misdiagnosed entity in various causes of neck pain. It results from calcium hydroxyapatite deposition in the longus colli muscle which is characterized by severe neck pain, painful restriction of neck movement, dysphagia,...

BACKGROUND Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a common non-articular musculoskeletal disorder. It is characterized by local and referred pain due to the presence of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs). MTrPs most commonly involve the upper trapezius muscle and can be visualized using ultrasound imaging. This study was designed to determine the inter-rater reliability of some new ultrasonographic i...

Painful rib syndrome EDITOR,-The painful rib syndrome recently described by Scott and Scott is, in my opinion, a misnomer. Over the years I have seen numerous cases similar to the ones they report, and have found that the tender spots they allude to are not in the ribs but in the muscles. They are, in fact, myofascial trigger points. Pain develops because of trauma induced activation ofnocicept...

Anatomical variations in the musculature of the spine have the potential to cause functional and postural abnormalities, which in turn could lead to chronic myofascial and skeletal pain. We present a unilateral case of a 71-year-old Caucasian female in which the left levator scapulae muscle gave rise to an accessory head that inserted, by way of a flat aponeurotic band, to the ligamentum nuchae...

background: lateral epicondylitis, also known as tennis elbow, is the most common overuse syndrome of the elbow. the severity of pain may not be directly caused by tendinopathy of wrist extensors since trigger points of the shoulder muscles have a referral zone in the arm and elbow. therefore the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dry needling of shoulder myofascial trigger points ...

OBJECTIVE To analyze the influence of socioeconomic and demographic factors (gender, economic class, age and marital status) on the occurrence of temporomandibular disorder. STUDY DESIGN One hundred individuals from urban areas in the city of Recife (Brazil) registered at Family Health Units was examined using Axis I of the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effect of a chewing exercise on pain intensity and pressure-pain threshold in patients with myofascial pain. METHODS Twenty-nine consecutive women diagnosed with myofascial pain (MFP) according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria comprised the experimental group and 15 healthy age-matched female were used as controls. Subjects were asked to chew a gum stick for 9 mi...

Chronic pelvic pain in men has often been misdiagnosed as prostatitis. After excluding serious or acute urological, neurological or colorectal conditions, it is essential to approach these patients with a much more comprehensive criteria. Thoughtful interview and methodical physical examination can very often reveal pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, Myofascial pain syndromes, Functional Somatic ...