Primary headaches and myofascial pain syndrome

Abstract

Myofascial pain syndrome is a complex of sensory, motor and autonomic symptoms that are caused by myofascial trigger points. Compression of these trigger points can induce local and referred pain. This article reviews the available published knowledge about the relationship of primary headaches and myofascial pain syndrome. Headache patients have significantly more trigger points than those without headaches. There is no difference in trigger points` prevalence between migrainous and patients with tension-type headache patients. In patients with unilateral migraine, there are significantly more trigger points ipsilateral to migraine headaches. There are a positive and significant correlation between the presence of trigger points and headache frequency and duration in migranous and chronic tension-type headache subjects. Sensitization of pain pathways in the central nervous system due to prolonged nociceptive stimuli from myofascial trigger points may contribute to the conversion of episodic to chronic headache. Patients with migraine and/or tension-type headache who had myofascial trigger points that, when pressed, reproduce their typical headache pain may be treated with trigger point injections.