Physical lesions may or may not be present. Bones, joints and vertebral discs may cause pain if they are luxated. Muscle pain may arise due to overstretching. TP s in human muscle have been called reactive points, Tender Points, fibrositic nodules, AhShi points and rheumatic spots. A myofascial TP is a hyperirritable locus within a taut band of skeletal muscle.
Myofascial pain is defined as pain in the myofascial areas of the body.
The pain is associated with local or distant foci of irritation in muscle, fascia, skin and subcutaneous tissue, viscera, joints and bones. It is a most common type of pain in man and animals. It may occur in any part of the body, may be acute or chronic and may appear to be superficial or deep, localised or diffuse. Myofascial pain may be referred from and to nearby or distant structures. A TP in the long muscles of the back, just caudal to the scapula, may refer pain to the buttock area.