10 Key Differences Between Trigger Points and Fibromyalgia
Reading time: 4 minutes
As any evidence-based chiropractor can attest, muscular tenderness is likely the most common objective finding in clinical practice. Estimates suggest that potentially more than 9 of 10 musculoskeletal presentations will harbor myofascial trigger points, aka myofascial pain syndrome. (1) However, a small percentage of our patients experience palpatory tenderness that is not limited to isolated taut bands of muscle contracture. Widespread pain and tenderness can suggest fibromyalgia.
While myofascial pain syndrome and fibromyalgia frequently co-exist, these divergent diagnoses require significantly different management approaches.
How Do We Know?
The ChiroUp advisory team embarked on a deep dive into the essential best practices that you need to manage the most common causes of muscular symptoms successfully. Earlier this week, ChiroUp released protocol #102, a best practice synopsis of Myofascial Pain Syndrome, and in preceding months, our team of advisors also defined protocols for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain.
How a ChiroUp protocol is created
Clinical research team collects relevant best practice references (3 DC’s)
Author curates references & writes synopsis (1 DC)
Content creators write and record all associated assets (2 DC’s)
Advisory board & content experts review and enhance protocol (12 DC’s + DC, MD, & PhD experts)
Clinical research team updates protocols via weekly literature review (3 DC’s)
Trigger Points vs Tender Points
Want to Learn More?
You can review ChiroUp’s complete protocols for Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, or Chronic Pain in our Condition Reference library.
Seriously – go check them out! These new protocols have dozens of additional best practice recommendations supported by up-to-date references. And don’t forget you can create the associated patient condition reports for your patients with a couple of clicks. ⤵️
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Suggestions?
ChiroUp is our profession’s premier knowledge-transfer resource – but only because you and more than 3,000 like-minded chiropractors share your real-world best practices. We welcome your feedback and suggestions for improvement on these or any other protocols. Scroll to the bottom of the page to leave us a comment.
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Urits I, Charipova K, Gress K, Schaaf AL, Gupta S, Kiernan HC, Choi PE, Jung JW, Cornett E, Kaye AD, Viswanath O. Treatment and management of myofascial pain syndrome. Best Practice & Research Clinical Anaesthesiology. 2020 Aug 8. Link
