1. Myofascial Release:
Myofascial Pain andTrigger
Points
By: Brooke Petho

2.  How many here know
what Myofascial Pain
is?
 How many know
what a trigger point
is?
 How many have
experienced a
tightness in your
muscles causing you to
lose ROM and cause
pain?

3.  Provide facts and understand of myofascial
pain syndrome (MPS) and trigger points
(TrPs)
 Provide you with techniques to self treat MPS
andTrPs
 Provide guidelines for the prevention of MPS
andTrPs

4.  Currently reported to affect approximately
85% of the population at some point during
their lives
 The mean prevalence of this condition among
middle-aged adults (30–60 years) is reported
to be 37% in men and 65% in women,
respectively
 In the elderly (>65 years), the prevalence
reaches 85%

5.  Combination of two Latin words
 “Myo” meaning muscle
 “Fascia”- meaning connective tissue
surrounding the muscle

6.  Tough connective tissue
that lies just under the
skin
 It surrounds every organ,
muscle, bone, nerve and
blood vessel
 Extends uninterrupted
from head to toe

7.  Hypersensitive areas
 Palpated as a nodule within a tight band of
muscle
 Can cause pain, tingling, burning, weakness
and loss of range of motion (ROM)

8.  MFP is an umbrella term that is given toTrPs and
referred pain
 TrPs are theTRUE source of soft tissue pain
 MPS is more of a medical “garbage” term
expressing the fact that the person is
experiencing broad soft tissue pain unrelated to
any MOI- possibly the result of multipleTrPs
with referred pain
 Tight MF and/or tight, fatigue, strained muscles
can develop activeTrPs therefore creating pain

9. * Most research about myofascial release is
more based on opinion, it is based on the
professional, the techniques they use and the
outcomes they are observing based on their
practice.

10.  Chronic or acute pain disorder
 Initiated troughTrP’s, inducing referred pain
into a specific body region depending on the
muscle involved
 Typically occurs after a muscle has been
contracted repetitively
 Untreated it can cause tightness, tenderness,
stiffness, popping and clicking, loss of ROM

11. 2Types
• Latent
• Active

12. • Only painful upon stimulation,
stiffness, decrease in ROM

13. • When a latent trigger point
becomes hyperactive,
resulting in a localized spasm,
creating a palpable knot, and
producing referred pain.

14.  “Pain that arises in a trigger point, but is felt
at a distance, often entirely remote from the
source”

15.  Prevalent in the head, neck, shoulders, hips
and low back

16.  Tight muscle
 Tender points in muscle
 Palpable nodules
 Decreased range of motion
 Weakness without atrophy
 As "dull," "achy," or "deep” pain that radiates
and is non specific
 Arises without a determined MOI
 Local spasm in affected muscle

17.  Sciatica
 Migraine headaches
 Fibromyalgia
 Shoulder Impingement
 Plantar fasciitis
 ITB syndrome
 Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

18. Stress
Posture
Ergonomics

19.  History
 How long has this been going on?
 Has anything in your daily routine changed that might
evoke this?
 What makes it better or worse?
 Has there been any trauma to this area currently?
 Any limitations of ROM since onset?
 Do you notice a decrease in pain over the weekend?
 What type of work do you do?

20.  What is your posture like?
 How are your workstation ergonomics?
 Do you exercise on a daily bases?

22.  Technique used to help lengthen the muscle
and fascial layers and enable them to remain
in the lengthened state
 Goal is to decrease the amount of tension to
the trigger points and decrease their
hypersensitivity

23. SELFTREATMENTS
 Stretching
 Massage
 Heat or Ice
 Foam Roller
 Trigger Ball
 Strengthening
MEDICALTREATMENTS
 Trigger Point Injections
 Acupuncture
REHABILITATION
 Ultrasound
 Stretch and Spray
 Therapeutic massage
 Electrical Stimulation

24.  Ergonomics
 Microbreaks
 PostureTraining
 Exercise
 Stress Management

25. 1. Myofascial pain andTrPs are caused from a
contraction of the muscle fibers, such as
repetative motions or injury
2. Self techniques that help enhance the
treatment of MPS andTrPs include
stretching, strengthening, foam rolling and
massage
3. Techniques involved in the prevention
include microbreaks, postural training,
exercise and stress management