Findings revealed that active and latent MTrPs were prevalent throughout all disorders , however , latent MTrPs did not consistently have a higher prevalence compared to healthy controls .
Conclusions We found limited evidence supporting the high prevalence of active and latent MTrPs in patients with neck or shoulder disorders .
Background Neck and shoulder disorders may be linked to the presence of myofascial trigger points ( MTrPs ) .
These disorders can significantly impact a person ’s activities of daily living and ability to work .
MTrPs can be involved with pain sensitization , contributing to acute or chronic neck and shoulder musculoskeletal disorders .
The aim of this review was to synthesis e evidence on the prevalence of active and latent MTrPs in subjects with neck and shoulder disorders .
High prevalence of shoulder girdle muscles with myofascial trigger points in patients with shoulder pain
Background Shoulder pain is reported to be highly prevalent and tends to be recurrent or persistent despite medical treatment . The pathophysiological mechanisms of shoulder pain are poorly understood . Furthermore , there is little evidence supporting the effectiveness of current treatment protocol s. Although myofascial trigger points ( MTrPs ) are rarely mentioned in relation to shoulder pain , they may present an alternative underlying mechanism , which would provide new treatment targets through MTrP inactivation . While previous research has demonstrated that trained physiotherapists can reliably identify MTrPs in patients with shoulder pain , the percentage of patients who actually have MTrPs remains unclear . The aim of this observational study was to assess the prevalence of muscles with MTrPs and the association between MTrPs and the severity of pain and functioning in patients with chronic non-traumatic unilateral shoulder pain . Methods An observational study was conducted . Subjects were recruited from patients participating in a controlled trial study ing the effectiveness of physical therapy on patients with unilateral non-traumatic shoulder pain .  Sociodemographic and patient-reported symptom scores , including the Disabilities of the Arm , Shoulder , and H and ( DASH ) Question naire , and Visual Analogue Scales for Pain were compared with other studies . To test for differences in age , gender distribution , and education level between the current study population and the population s from Dutch shoulder studies , the one sample T-test was used . One observer examined all subjects ( n = 72 ) for the presence of MTrPs . Frequency distributions , means , medians , st and ard deviations , and 95 % confidence intervals were calculated for descriptive purpose s. The Spearman 's rank-order correlation ( ρ ) was used to test for association between variables . Results MTrPs were identified in all subjects . The median number of muscles with MTrPs per subject was 6 ( active MTrPs ) and 4 ( latent MTrPs ) . Active MTrPs were most prevalent in the infraspinatus ( 77 % ) and the upper trapezius muscles ( 58 % ) , whereas latent MTrPs were most prevalent in the teres major ( 49 % ) and anterior deltoid muscles ( 38 % ) . The number of muscles with active MTrPs was only moderately correlated with the DASH score . Conclusion The prevalence of muscles containing active and latent MTrPs in a sample of patients with chronic non-traumatic shoulder pain was high
Findings revealed that active and latent MTrPs were prevalent throughout all disorders , however , latent MTrPs did not consistently have a higher prevalence compared to healthy controls .
Conclusions We found limited evidence supporting the high prevalence of active and latent MTrPs in patients with neck or shoulder disorders .
Background Neck and shoulder disorders may be linked to the presence of myofascial trigger points ( MTrPs ) .
These disorders can significantly impact a person ’s activities of daily living and ability to work .
MTrPs can be involved with pain sensitization , contributing to acute or chronic neck and shoulder musculoskeletal disorders .
The aim of this review was to synthesis e evidence on the prevalence of active and latent MTrPs in subjects with neck and shoulder disorders .