Myofascial pain syndrome

Diagnosis of myofascial pain syndrome may become less challenging as clinical criteria become better defined. The mechanisms are not well known, and the syndrome occurs in a wide variety of settings. Trigger points with referred pain are the most common feature. Treatment consists of physical modalities (spray-and-stretch techniques and trigger point block) combined with a program of graded muscle stretching and strengthening. Early, aggressive treatment yields an improved prognosis.