Myofascial pain is often misdiagnosed and mistreated for one primary reason: the cause of myofascial pain is often not
located in the same place where the pain is felt. An example is that hand and arm pain is often caused by chronically contracted
muscles in the upper arm, shoulder or even the neck.
While drugs can provide short term relief, they do not address the causes of chronic myofascial pain. And they pose
a risk of side effects or in some cases, drug dependency. Surgery is a higher cost, and higher risk method of pain relief,
justified in many cases. However, when myofascial factors are paramount, they can be treated at much lower cost and risk.
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Example: Myofascial trigger points in
the scalene muscles (represented by the X's) often cause pain in the areas shown in red.
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