MYOFASCIAL PAIN

Course overview

THE FASCIA IS MADE UP OF SOLID (MUSCLES) AND LIQUID (BLOOD, LYMPH) ELEMENTS AND COMPONENTS. THE MYOFASCIAL SYSTEM COMPRISES CONTRACTILE MUSCLE TISSUE AND CONNECTIVE TISSUE. THERE ARE OTHER FASCIAL ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE MYOFASCIAL SYSTEM, SUCH AS THE NERVOUS AND VASCULAR TISSUE AND THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM. NERVOUS TISSUE (AXON AND VARIOUS AFFERENTS) AND THE RESULTING TERMINATIONS ARE FASCIAE. THE MYOFASCIAL SYSTEM CAN BE A SOURCE OF PAIN AND FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS BY CREATING SYMPTOMATIC PICTURES THAT ARE NOT ALWAYS CLEAR AND EASY TO FRAME. THE PAIN OF THE MYOFASCIAL SYSTEM DERIVES FROM THE PRESENCE OF MUSCULAR TRIGGER POINTS OF THE WELL-LOCALIZED AREAS OF A TAUT BAND, WHICH AT THE PALPATION OR TO THE ACTIVE MOVEMENT GENERATE LOCAL PAIN OR REFERRED PAIN. THERE ARE ACTIVE TRIGGER POINTS, PAINFUL AREAS TO MOVEMENT OR PAINFUL EVEN IN THE ABSENCE OF MOVEMENT, AND SILENT TRIGGER POINTS, WHICH BECOME PAINFUL ONLY AT PALPATION. THIS ACTIVITY OUTLINES THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, EVALUATION, AND TREATMENT OF MYOFASCIAL PAIN AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.