Although pain is the commonest complaint encountered by physician, it is still poorly understood and often very refractory to treatment. Myofascial trigger point syndrome as a clinical entity represents one of the most frequent causes of pain.

This entity has not received the attention it deserves until recently.

Myofascial trigger point syndrome is characterized by the existence of a hypersensitive region, called the trigger point in a muscle or in the connective tissue, together with palpable nodule, stiffness, limitation of motion and referring pain when trigger point is stimulated. Physiologically they represent a self-sustaining vicious cycle of pain-spasm-pain.

Authors in the Rehabilitation Medicine Korea University Hospital, diagnosed 46 cases (15.2%) as myofascial trigger point syndrome out of 302 cases of pain complained patients from September, 1981 to August, 1982 for 1 year.

Sex distribution was predominent in female (35 cases, 76.1%) and peak incidence in the fifth decade (17 cases, 37%). These disorders are usualy the result of psychogenic problem and acute or chronic injury. The Most Commonest location of trigger point was trapezius (25 cases 27.5%) and The Most Commonest area of referred zone was shoulder girdle (14 cases, 30.4%). In order to produce optimal results, thermal therapy, local injection with Procain and Betamethasone, deep friction massage, drug therapy, spray and traction were used. Not all patients respond and in some the response is slow, incomplete or temporary, but 90.32% were effective with 2.13 increment of pain scale value by Harrold Gottlieb from 1.19 to 3.32.