Fibromyalgia Trigger Points

You are always feeling exhausted and have widespread pain in your body. You have consulted different doctors and have undergone a whole lot of diagnostic tests. However, the results were normal and the doctors could not find any specific health problem, which is causing these symptoms. If you are in such a situation, there is a possibility that you are suffering from fibromyalgia. It is a condition, which can be caused without any apparent cause, but, can affect the quality of life of the affected person, by developing symptoms like, widespread pain, especially on fibromyalgia trigger points and tender points. Let us take a look at the fibromyalgia trigger points chart.

More about Fibromyalgia

Now, you know that fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread and long term pain in joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. This condition can develop on its own or along with other medical conditions, like, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, etc. In most cases of fibromyalgia, it has been observed that the affected people develop some trigger points in the body, where slight pressure can cause intense pain. It has been noted that women are more prone to this condition, as compared to men. Increasing age can also be a contributory factor for fibromyalgia. However, this condition can also be caused without any noticeable reasons. Studies show that fibromyalgia may develop along with some illness or due to physical or emotional trauma or due to hereditary factors. Apart from pain, signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia include fatigue, sleep disturbances, headaches, anxiety, etc. It has also been observed that people having fibromyalgia, may also have medical conditions, like, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, restless legs syndrome, osteoarthritis, endometriosis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. However, pain, especially on trigger points, is one of the characteristic symptoms of fibromyalgia. Scroll down for more details about fibromyalgia trigger points and tender points.

What are Fibromyalgia Trigger Points and Tender Points

Even though, widespread pain is the characteristic feature, there are some criteria for categorizing the pain as a symptom of fibromyalgia. Such widespread pain or dull ache must last for at least three months continuously. The affected person must have a minimum number (at least 11 out of the 18 possible points ) of tender or trigger points on his body. These two factors are very critical in diagnosing the condition. Among the two, the second one (trigger points) is considered as a much more important deciding factor. Trigger points are those specific regions of the body, which are very sensitive to touch or pressure. The affected people experience intense pain while pressing these spots. These trigger points consist of very small areas, which are mostly located near joints. These points are scattered throughout the body and are mostly found on the neck, back, chest, elbows, hips, buttocks, and knees. Earlier, it was thought that the pain in these areas are caused by inflammation of tissues, but, researches ruled out this speculation. In short, there is no scientific explanation for fibromyalgia symptoms and trigger points. As of now, the speculation is that people with this condition are more sensitive to pain.

Now, let us discuss the difference between trigger points and tender points. It is one of the hot debate topics as, most health experts use these terms interchangeably. But, there are some researches, who contend that both are different. According to them, tender points are those areas, which can cause pain, when exposed to pressure. Even, touching such points with a finger may cause intense pain. But, such pain is felt on that region only, as it will not get radiated to nearby areas or any other part of the body. In case of trigger points, the pain will get radiated to other body parts. It has been contended that the pain caused by trigger points can be relieved with massage and physical therapy, but, it is not possible with tender points. While trigger points can cause myofascial pain, which may co-exist with fibromyalgia, in the former condition the muscles feel hard and on pressing these points, the person will experience pain on some other body part, which may be accompanied by nausea. In case of fibromyalgia tender points, the cause and mechanism is unknown and the severity of the condition is found to be cyclic. So, according to these experts, if the pain is relieved with massage or physical therapy, the condition is not fibromyalgia, but, myofascial pain. So, whatever may be the confusion, in this article, we are referring to these points as trigger points.

Location of Fibromyalgia Trigger Points

People having fibromyalgia experience widespread pain, which is felt on both sides of the body. These points are located both above and below the waist. In short, you can find these trigger points on both anterior and posterior sides of the body. There are 18 possible fibromyalgia trigger points, which are listed as follows. The first four pair of trigger points are situated on the anterior side of the body, whereas the last five pairs are on the posterior side.

• If you start from the upper part of the anterior side of human body, then, two low cervical trigger points are located at the anterior aspects of the inter transverse spaces at C5-C7 (lower vertebrae of the neck)
• The next fibromyalgia trigger points can be found just below the first pair, i.e., two points near the insertion of the second rib (upper lateral to the second costochondral junction)
• The third pair of anterior trigger points are on the side of the elbows. The location is termed as lateral epicondyle; one trigger point each on a point, which is 2 centimeter distal to the epicondyle (side of elbow).
• The knees too carry two fibromyalgia trigger points. One trigger point each on both knees can be located at the middle of the knee joint.
• The next trigger points are located on the posterior side of the body. Starting from the top, there are two trigger points near the base of the skull (occiput). In scientific terms, it can be said that the exact location is at the suboccipital muscle insertions.
• The next two trigger points can be located at the trapezius, which is termed as the mid point of the upper border. It can be explained as a point, which lies halfway between the base of the neck and the shoulder tip (on both sides).
• The third pair of fibromyalgia points on the posterior side of the body are situated just below the second pair (at the trapezius). The location is called supraspinatus, where the back muscles attach to the shoulder blade.
• There are two trigger points above the buttocks, situated in the gluteal region. To be more precise, these points are located above each buttock. It can be found on the outer right and left of each buttock.
• After the gluteal ones, the next two are located on the greater trochanter; the upper part of thigh, just below the hip muscles.

The above said fibromyalgia trigger points list can help you in locating those points. The fibromyalgia trigger point diagram, which is given above, can be more useful in finding the exact locations.

Now, you have a basic idea about the fibromyalgia trigger points, which can help you in recognizing the symptoms of this medical condition.