Previous studies have not found a significant correlation between loca
tion of pain and electromyogram levels in chronic headache patients. H
owever, these studies only examined a limited number of muscle groups
and did not assess subjective tension levels. The present study evalua
ted a group of tension-type (n = 43) and migraine and tension-type (n
= 30) headache patients. Measures were obtained at five muscle sites (
frontalis, temporalis. masseter, splenius capitis, and trapezius) for
patient ratings of headache pain, patient ratings of muscle tension, a
nd electromyogram recordings cross-sectionally. Neither subjective pai
n nor tension ratings were found to be significantly related to electr
omyogram levels. The site-specificity relationship between chronic hea
dache pain, subjective report of muscular tension, and electromyogram
levels remains unclear.