TY - JOUR
T1 - Trigger points are associated with widespread pressure pain sensitivity in people with tension-type headache
AU - Palacios-Ceña, Maria
AU - Wang, Kelun
AU - Castaldo, Matteo
AU - Guillem-Mesado, Amparo
AU - Ordás-Bandera, Carlos
AU - Arendt-Nielsen, Lars
AU - Fernández-de-las-Peñas, César
PY - 2018/2/1
Y1 - 2018/2/1
N2 - Objective: To investigate the association between trigger points (TrPs) and widespread pressure pain sensitivity in people with tension-type headache (TTH) and to determine if this association is different between frequent episodic (FETTH) or chronic (CTTH) headache. Design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: One hundred and fifty-seven individuals (29% male) with TTH participated. Clinical features of headache, i.e., intensity, duration, and frequency, were recorded in a headache diary. Active and latent TrPs were bilaterally explored in the temporalis, masseter, suboccipital, upper trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, and splenius capitis muscles. Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) were assessed over the trigeminal area (i.e., temporalis muscle), extra-trigeminal (i.e., C5/C6 zygapophyseal joint), and two distant pain-free points (i.e., second metacarpal and tibialis anterior muscle). Results: Eighty (51%) patients were classified as FETTH, whereas 77 (49%) were classified as CTTH. No differences in the number of either active or latent TrPs (all p > 0.171) or widespread pressure pain sensitivity (all p > 0.351) were observed between FETTH and CTTH groups. The number of active and latent TrPs was significantly and negatively associated with PPTs: The higher the number of active or latent TrPs, the lower the widespread PPT, and the more generalized sensitization. This association was stronger within the FETTH group than the CTTH group. Conclusions: This study found that the number of TrPs in head and neck/shoulder muscles was associated with widespread pressure hypersensitivity independently of the frequency of headache.
AB - Objective: To investigate the association between trigger points (TrPs) and widespread pressure pain sensitivity in people with tension-type headache (TTH) and to determine if this association is different between frequent episodic (FETTH) or chronic (CTTH) headache. Design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: One hundred and fifty-seven individuals (29% male) with TTH participated. Clinical features of headache, i.e., intensity, duration, and frequency, were recorded in a headache diary. Active and latent TrPs were bilaterally explored in the temporalis, masseter, suboccipital, upper trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, and splenius capitis muscles. Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) were assessed over the trigeminal area (i.e., temporalis muscle), extra-trigeminal (i.e., C5/C6 zygapophyseal joint), and two distant pain-free points (i.e., second metacarpal and tibialis anterior muscle). Results: Eighty (51%) patients were classified as FETTH, whereas 77 (49%) were classified as CTTH. No differences in the number of either active or latent TrPs (all p > 0.171) or widespread pressure pain sensitivity (all p > 0.351) were observed between FETTH and CTTH groups. The number of active and latent TrPs was significantly and negatively associated with PPTs: The higher the number of active or latent TrPs, the lower the widespread PPT, and the more generalized sensitization. This association was stronger within the FETTH group than the CTTH group. Conclusions: This study found that the number of TrPs in head and neck/shoulder muscles was associated with widespread pressure hypersensitivity independently of the frequency of headache.
KW - Tension-type headache
KW - muscle pain
KW - referred pain
KW - sensitization
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85042289339&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0333102416679965
DO - 10.1177/0333102416679965
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0333-1024
VL - 38
SP - 237
EP - 245
JO - Cephalalgia
JF - Cephalalgia
IS - 2
ER -