Latent Trigger Points: What Are the Underlying Predictors?

Abstract

Objective: To determine the factors predicting the presence and number of latent trigger points (LTrPs) in healthy individuals.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Local faculty of health sciences.

Participants: Healthy individuals (N=242) were divided into 2 groups: group 1, those without LTrPs (n=68); and group 2, those with LTrPs (n=174).

Interventions: None.

Main outcome measures: Disability was assessed using the Quick-Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire and the Neck Pain and Disability Scale. Psychological factors were evaluated using the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Perceived Stress Scale. Quality of life was evaluated using the Short-Form-12; smoking habits were determined with questions about current smoking status; and pain level was assessed using the visual analog scale. The LTrP assessment was made with a pinching movement or flat palpation bilaterally.

Results: By using a hierarchical regression model, we entered age, depression, and pain level into the first block, which explained a significant amount of variance in the presence and number of LTrPs (R(2)=.041; P=.033 and R(2)=.197; P<.001, respectively). Pain level contributed independently the presence of LTrPs, whereas age and pain level predicted the number of LTrPs (P<.05).

Conclusions: This study found that pain and age were significant predictors of the number of LTrPs, but only pain predicted the presence of LTrPs in healthy individuals.

Keywords: Muscles; Pain; Rehabilitation; Trigger points.