ASSOCIATION OF ACTIVE MYOFASCIAL TRIGGER POINTS AND CERVICAL, DISC LESIONS

We investigated the occurrence of active myofascial trigger points in specific muscle groups in relation to the existence of cervical disc b ulging at various levels. One hundred and five patients (48 men, 57 wo men; mean age, 45.8 +/- 12.1 yr) who had active trigger points in the neck or upper back after trauma were divided into two groups on the ba sis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence of bulging disc(s). T he disc(N) group consisted of 46 patients who had normal MRI findings in the cervical spine. The other 59 patients, with mild cervical disc bulging, were assigned to the disc(+) group. The correlations between specific muscles with active trigger points (clinical finding) and cer vical disc lesions at specific levels (MRI finding) were analyzed. The re were significant associations between the level of disc lesion and the muscles with trigger points, namely C3-4 lesions with levator scap ulae and latissimus dorsi trigger points; C4-5 lesions with splenius c apitis, levator scapulae, and rhomboid minor trigger points; C5-6 lesi ons with splenius capitis, deltoid, levator scapulae, rhomboid minor, and latissimus dorsi trigger points; and C6-7 lesions with latissimus dorsi and rhomboid minor trigger points. For each disc level, the aver age pain intensity (assessed using a numerical analog scale) of trigge r points in certain correlated muscles (as indicated above) in the dis c(+) group was significantly higher than that in the disc(N) group (P < 0.05 for all disc levels). We conclude that active trigger points ar e more likely to occur in certain muscles in the presence of cervical disc lesions at specific levels.