ReviewCurrent rheumatology reports2014
Myofascial trigger points: peripheral or central phenomenon?
Review in Current rheumatology reports, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 50 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
DO SOFT TISSUE TECHNIQUES HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON DISABILITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN MIGRAINE SUFFERERS?: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Comparison of Dry Needling and Sustained Pressure in Trigger Points of Lumbar Paraspinal Muscles
Determining the Effect of a Combination of Muscle Energy Techniques and Trigger Point Therapy on Subjective and Objective Indicators Assessing the Condition of the Musculoskeletal System in Asymptomatic Persons With Latent Trigger Point
Who cites it
50 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effect of ischemic compression on myofascial pain syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Chiropractic & manual therapies · 2022Pooled it
- Intramuscular electrical stimulation added to home exercise for myofascial shoulder pain: a randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Dry Needling in the Treatment of Myogenous Temporomandibular Joint Disorders.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2022Trial
- A randomized clinical trial comparing non-thrust manipulation with segmental and distal dry needling on pain, disability, and rate of recovery for patients with non-specific low back pain.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy · 2019Trial
- Does improvement towards a normal cervical sagittal configuration aid in the management of cervical myofascial pain syndrome: a 1- year randomized controlled trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2018Trial
- [Manual trigger point therapy of shoulder pain : Randomized controlled study of effectiveness].Schmerz (Berlin, Germany) · 2016Trial
- Diagnostic Utility of Surface Electromyography for Identifying Muscles Affected by Myofascial Trigger Points: A Scoping Review.Biomedicines · 2026Review
- The Role of Muscle Trigger Points in Chronic Whiplash-Associated Disorders with Neuropathic Pain Components: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- The protective model of myofascial trigger points: a testable systems-level framework based on strain-repair mismatch.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Article
- Inhibition of the AMPK/PGC-1α/Mfn2 Axis is Associated with Mitochondria-ER Dysfunction and Ultrastructural Remodeling in a Rat Model of Myofascial Trigger Points.Journal of pain research · 2026Article
- Pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of discogenic low back pain: a phenotype-driven precision framework for surgical and interventional decision-making.Frontiers in surgery · 2026Review
- Anatomical Investigation of the Gluteus Medius Muscle Innervation and Its Topographical Correspondence With Myofascial Trigger Points.BioMed research international · 2026Article
- Comparative efficacy of myofascial release versus stretching combined with high-powered pulsed therapeutic ultrasound in amateur overhead athletes with active trapezius trigger point pain: a randomized clinical trial.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2025Article
- The utilization of dry needling - a survey of contemporary clinical practice within the USA.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy · 2025Article
- Dry Needling of Anterior Neck Muscles in a Patient With Muscle Tension Dysphonia: A Case Report.Clinical case reports · 2025Article
- Comparing Multiple Versus Sustained Insertion Dry Needling Therapy for Myofascial Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Annals of rehabilitation medicine · 2025Article
- Myofascial Pain Syndrome: An Update on Clinical Characteristics, Etiopathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Treatment.Muscle & nerve · 2025Review
- Association of Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, and Triceps Trigger Points in Patients With Lateral Epicondylalgia: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of chiropractic medicine · 2025Article
- Exploring fascia in myofascial pain syndrome: an integrative model of mechanisms.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Characteristics of patients with myofascial pain syndrome of the low back.Scientific reports · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Trigger points (TrP) are hyperirritable spots in a taut band of a skeletal muscle, which usually have referred pain. There is controversy over whether TrP are a peripheral or central nervous system phenomenon. Referred pain, the most characteristic sign of TrP, is a central phenomenon initiated and activated by peripheral sensitization, whereby the peripheral nociceptive input from the muscle can sensitize dorsal horn neurons that were previously silent. TrP are a peripheral source of nociception, and act as ongoing nociceptive stimuli contributing to pain propagation and widespread pain. Several studies support the hypothesis that TrP can induce central sensitization, and appropriate TrP treatment reduces central sensitization. In contrast, preliminary evidence suggests that central sensitization can also promote TrP activity, although further studies are needed. Proper TrP management may prevent and reverse the development of pain propagation in chronic pain conditions, because inactivation of TrP attenuates central sensitization.
Indexed as
Identifiers
24264721What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.