In addition to sensory symptoms, individuals with FMS also exhibit motor disturbances.

The excitability of the central nervous system plays an important role in sensory symptoms and centrally mediated allodynia seen in FMS. Īlthough the etiology of FMS is still debated, it is well accepted that patients exhibit hyper-excitability and hyper-responsiveness of the central nervous system. The mean worldwide prevalence of FMS has been estimated to be 2.7%, with an overall prevalence of 4.7% in Europe and 5% in United States of America. FMS women suffering foot pain showed higher pressure hypersensitivity in the plantar region than those FMS women without pain.įibromyalgia Syndrome, Trigger Points, Pressure Pain, Sensitization, Feet Introductionįibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a disabling pain condition mainly featuring widespread pain, fatigue, and cognitive and physical problems, as well as sleep disturbances mainly affecting women. The referred pain elicited by active TrPs in the foot muscles reproduced the symptoms in these patients. The presence of foot pain in women with FMS is high.

Topographical pressure pain sensitivity maps revealed that FMS women with foot pain had lower PPT than FMS women without pain and healthy controls, and higher PPT on the calcaneus bone ( P < 0.001).Ĭonclusions. Active TrPs in the flexor hallucis brevis and adductor hallucis muscles were the most prevalent. Women with FMS without foot pain and healthy controls had only latent TrPs (2.2 ± 0.8 and 1.5 ± 1.3, respectively). The number of active TrPs for each FMS woman with foot pain was 5 ± 1.5 without any latent TrPs. The prevalence rate of foot pain was 63% (n = 32). Topographical pressure sensitivity maps of the plantar region were generated using the averaged PPT of each location. Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) were assessed in a blind manner over seven locations on each foot. TrPs within the flexor hallucis brevis, adductor hallucis, dorsal interossei, extensor digitorum brevis, and quadratus plantae, as well as external and internal gastrocnemius, were explored.

Fifty-one FMS women and 24 comparable healthy women participated. To investigate the presence of trigger points (TrPs) in feet musculature and topographical pressure sensitivity maps of the feet as well as the relationship between TrPs, pressure pain maps, and clinical variables in women with fibromyalgia (FMS).

Travell and simons foot