Myofascial pain may develop from a muscle injury or from excessive strain on a particular muscle or muscle group, ligament or tendon¹. Other causes include:

Sudden trauma to musculoskeletal tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons, bursae)


Injury to intervertebral disc


General fatigue


Nervous tension or stress


Hormonal changes (eg, trigger point development during PMS or menopause)


Repetative motions; Excessive exercise; Muscle strain due to over activity


Medical conditions (eg, gall bladder inflammation, heart attack, appendicitis, stomach irritation)


Lack of activity (such as a broken arm in a sling)


Chilling of areas of the body (eg, sitting under an air conditioning duct; sleeping in front of an air conditioner)


Generalize fatigue (fibromyalgia is a perpetuating factor of CMP, perhaps chronic fatigue syndrome may produce trigger points as well)

The fascia is a tough connective tissue which spreads throughout the body in a three dimensional web from head to foot without interruption². The fascia surrounds every muscle, bone, nerve, blood vessel and organ of the body, all the way down to the cellular level. Therefore, malfunction of the fascial system due to trauma, posture, or inflammation can create a binding down of the fascia, resulting in abnormal pressure on nerves, muscles, bones or organs.

This can create pain or malfunction throughout the body, sometimes with bizarre side effects and seemingly unrelated symptoms. It is thought that an extremely high percentage of people suffering with pain and/or lack of motion may be having myofascial problems; but most go undiagnosed, as the importance of fascia is just now being recognized.