Blood flow in fibromyotic muscles.

Muscle blood flow (MBF) in m. trapezius was examined in 12 subjects with chronic fibromyotic pain syndrome of the m. trapezius and in 12 healthy volunteers with no symptoms from m. trapezius or other muscles of the shoulder or neck, using the local 133xenon clearance method. The MBF was slightly higher in the fibromyotic group than in the normal group, but the difference was statistically insignificant, 3.04+/-SEM 0.56 and 2.37+/-SEM 0.37 ml/100 g/min, respectively.