Myofascial pain syndrome.

Myofascial pain, a general descriptive term, is applied to painful sensations that extend along one or more skeletal muscles and their fascia. Trigger points, discrete hyperesthetic areas within the muscle and its fascia, are characteristically found in myofascial pain. On the other hand, myofascial pain syndrome is a painful condition characterized by the presence of trigger points, local and referred pain, tenderness, referred autonomic phenomena as well as anxiety and depression. Patients affected by myofascial pain, trigger points, or myofascial pain syndrome, represent a significant population group requesting services in the offices of general practitioners, orthopaedic surgeons, and physicians treating musculoskeletal disorders.