MYOFASCIAL PAIN IN THE SPINE
The origin of back pain is often myofascial, especially in patients with chronic back pain.
Myofascial pain syndrome is defined as any pain originating in a skeletal muscle and which has the following characteristics:
- Pain in a neighbouring area, referred to the affected muscle with a specific pattern for each muscle.
- Trigger points – palpable and hyperirritable nodules located in taut bands of muscle. When these points are stimulated, two characteristic phenomena occur: the onset of referred pain and the production of sudden motor activity in the taut muscle band.
- Shortening of the muscle fibre which will restrict the normal mobility of the muscle associated with adhesions between muscle fasciae.