A Comprehensive Protocol to Diagnose and Treat Pain of Muscular Origin May Successfully and Reliably Decrease or Eliminate Pain in a Chronic Pain Population

ABSTRACT Objective. A comprehensive protocol is presented to identify muscular causes of regional pain syndromes utilizing an electrical stimulus in lieu of palpation, and combining elements of Prolotherapy with trigger point injections. Methods. One hundred seventy‐six consecutive patients were evaluated for the presence of muscle pain by utilizing an electrical stimulus produced by the Muscle Pain Detection Device. The diagnosis of “Muscle Pain Amenable to Injection” (MPAI), rather than trigger points, was made if pain was produced for the duration of the stimulation. If MPAI was found, muscle tendon injections (MTI) were offered to patients along with post‐MTI physical therapy, providing neuromuscular electrical stimulation followed by a validated exercise program [1]. A control group, evaluated 1 month prior to their actual consultation/evaluation when muscle pain was identified but not yet treated, was used for comparison. Results. Forty‐five patients who met criteria completed treatment. Patients' scores on the Brief Pain Inventory decreased an average of 62%; median 70% (P