Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Part I Physiology and pathophysiology of nerve fibres
- Part II Pain
- 13 Human nociceptors in health and disease
- 14 Sensory consequences of inflammation
- 15 Non-voluntary muscle activity and myofascial pain syndromes
- 16 Is there a mechanism for the spinal cord to remember pain?
- 17 The neurophysiological basis of pain relief by acupuncture
- Part III Control of central nervous system output
- Part IV Development, survival, regeneration and death
- Index
15 - Non-voluntary muscle activity and myofascial pain syndromes
from Part II - Pain
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 August 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Part I Physiology and pathophysiology of nerve fibres
- Part II Pain
- 13 Human nociceptors in health and disease
- 14 Sensory consequences of inflammation
- 15 Non-voluntary muscle activity and myofascial pain syndromes
- 16 Is there a mechanism for the spinal cord to remember pain?
- 17 The neurophysiological basis of pain relief by acupuncture
- Part III Control of central nervous system output
- Part IV Development, survival, regeneration and death
- Index
Summary
Myofascial pain syndromes
Pain syndromes of suspected myofascial origin are one of the most prevalent problems in clinical neurology today. These syndromes include tension headache, temporomandibular pain, myofascial pain relating to hyperextension injury (‘whiplash’) or located to muscles such as sternocleidomastoid or trapezius, as well as subgroups of chronic low back pain. Many of these conditions are located to cervical or suboccipital muscles and constitute a separate group in the classification scheme for chronic pain published in Pain (Merskey, 1986). The pain appears to originate in muscles or connective tissue associated with muscle. The aetiology is not known, but parameters indicating a negative emotional state (depression, anxiety), stressful conditions at home or at work (time pressure, emotional conflicts, perceived poor psychosocial work environment) or mechanical stress (posture, repetitive work tasks) are often shown to correlate with the pain condition (Holm et al., 1986; Ellertsen & Kløve, 1987; Kamwendo, Linton & Moritz, 1991; Winkel & Westgaard, 1992).
Myofascial pain syndrome in the trapezius muscle is often caused by mechanical stressors at the work place, such as maintained postures or repetitive work tasks. The trapezius muscle is particularly vulnerable in its function as a stabilizer of the scapula and lifter of the shoulder girdle. In this research area work tasks demanding a high level of muscle force, causing muscle fatigue with a feeling of discomfort and presumably causing muscle pain in the longer term, were initially studied.
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- The Neurobiology of DiseaseContributions from Neuroscience to Clinical Neurology, pp. 169 - 176Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1996
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