Letter to the Editor: Pumping the Brakes on the Biochemical Milieu of Myofascial Trigger Points

In 2005 and 2008 two studies by Shah et al were published shedding light on the internal milieu of myofascial trigger points (TrP). 1 Shah JP Phillips TM Danoff JV Gerber LH. An in vivo microanalytical technique for measuring the local biochemical milieu of human skeletal muscle. J Appl Physiol. 2005; 99: 1977-1984 Crossref PubMed Scopus (505) Google Scholar ,2 Shah JP Danoff JV Desai MJ et al. Biochemicals associated with pain and inflammation are elevated in sites near to and remote from active myofascial trigger points. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2008; 89: 16-23 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (491) Google Scholar These studies served as a critical inflection in our understanding of the biochemicals associated with TrPs and myofascial pain and are supportive of the popular Integrated Hypothesis proposed by Simons. 3 Simons DG Travell JG Simons LS. Travell & Simons' myofascial pain and dysfunction: the trigger point manual. 2nd ed. Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore1999 Google Scholar As determined through Google Scholar, the two studies have garnered nearly 1700 scientific citations. However, upon close review problematic technical errors and results improbabilities exist that question the validity of the findings. Response to Letter to the Editor on “Biochemicals Associated With Pain and Inflammation are Elevated in Sites Near to and Remote From Active Myofascial Trigger Points”Archives of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationPreviewWe thank the Archives of PM&R for the opportunity to respond to the letter to the editor. Full-Text PDF