An overview of myofascial pain syndrome with a focus on trigger point injection

Abstract

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a very common condition, with an estimated lifetime prevalence of 85% in the general population. MPS is commonly underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed due to the lack of standardized diagnostic criteria and the symptoms' overlap with those of other musculoskeletal pain conditions. The most notable and bothersome feature of MPS is the presence of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs), hypersensitive areas of muscle commonly characterized as knots, nodules, or bumps that cause strain and pain with and oftentimes without stimulation. A low-risk, low-cost procedure, trigger point injection (TPI) is the gold standard for MPS treatment, and NPs can perform the procedure in an outpatient practice setting. Through administration of TPIs and use of other treatment modalities, primary care NPs can significantly impact the quality of life for those patients affected by acute and chronic MPS. This article aims to educate primary care NPs on MPS diagnosis and provide an overview of treatment options, with a focus on TPI use and administration for MPS relief.

Comparison of Ropivacaine Alone vs Ropivacaine With Methylprednisolone Injection as a Treatment of Trigger Points for Myofascial Pain: A Superiority Randomized Clinical Trial

“…The main objective is to release the tight bands and deactivate the trigger points. Numerous therapeutic approaches include exercise, acupuncture, stretch and spray techniques, rehabilitation, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), and patient counseling (Alshammari et al, 2023;Bodine, 2023). One of the best ways to treat MPS is by Trigger point injection.…”

Do not say or write: “pain syndrome”! You say “pain”!

“…В последующие десятилетия «болевой синдром» исчезает, уверенно уступая место «боли» (pain). Одно из немногих исключений здесь -достаточно широко используемый термин «миофасциальный болевой синдром» (хотя очень часто это состояние описывается и как «миофасциальная боль») [15]. Но в последнем случае речь идет о действительно очерченном симптомокомплексе, и слово «синдром» здесь относится, скорее, к слову «миофасциальный».…”