Soft Tissue & Chronic Pain
Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Persistent muscular pain with tender points that refer pain elsewhere.
Also called: Trigger points, Myofascial trigger points.
Myofascial pain describes tender, taut bands within a muscle that can refer pain to another area entirely — which is why the sore spot you point to and the area that actually hurts are often not the same place.
These points can develop after an injury, from sustained postures, or alongside a joint that isn't moving well. They tend to be reproducible: pressing on the same spot brings back the same familiar pain pattern.
Why this matters
Myofascial pain rarely exists on its own. It frequently travels with joint restriction, repetitive postural load, or ongoing stress, and treating the tender spot in isolation without looking at those contributors tends to bring the pain back.
Left unaddressed, these patterns can become a habitual source of discomfort that flares with fatigue or stress, even when nothing new has been injured.
The brain & nervous-system connection
Where the nervous system fits in
Muscle tone is set and adjusted by the nervous system, not by the muscle itself. Persistent tension in a muscle is often a sign of how the nervous system is regulating that area, which is why we evaluate it alongside nervous system findings rather than as a purely local, mechanical problem.
Because the nervous system also determines where referred pain is felt, understanding the pattern of referral is part of building an accurate picture of what is actually happening, rather than chasing pain from spot to spot.
What we look at
We look for patterns, not a single test
- Detailed health history and consultation
- NeuroInfiniti Stress Response Evaluation
- Posture and movement
- Balance and coordination testing
- Eye movement or neurological screening when appropriate
- Grip or motor-function testing when appropriate
- Palpation and spinal function
- Other examination procedures based on the individual
Not every person receives every test. What we perform depends on your history, your age and what the examination shows as we go.
Scope of care
What this does — and doesn't — mean
What we do
- • We evaluate chiropractic and musculoskeletal function.
- • We look at nervous-system-related functional findings that fall within our scope.
- • We assess movement, balance and coordination findings.
- • We measure stress-response patterns with the NeuroInfiniti evaluation.
- • We make individualized chiropractic care recommendations and re-measure over time.
What we don't claim
- • We do not diagnose, treat or cure diseases.
- • Chiropractic care is not a treatment for dementia, Alzheimer's disease or other neurological diseases.
- • Chiropractic care is not a replacement for medical care, testing or medication.
- • No outcome is promised. Results vary from person to person.
Common questions
- Why does the pain show up somewhere other than where I'm tender?
- Referred pain patterns are a known feature of myofascial trigger points. The nervous system can project pain sensation to a site removed from the actual tender tissue.
- Will massaging the sore spot fix it?
- It may ease things temporarily, but if a joint restriction or repetitive load is driving the tension, the spot tends to return until that underlying contributor is addressed.
When medical evaluation may be needed
Some symptoms need medical evaluation first. If anything in your history or examination suggests that, we will say so and help point you in the right direction.
Related at Foothills Chiropractic
- Joint Pain & Staying Active — Shoulders, hips, knees, ankles — extremity function matters as much as the spine.
- Achilles Tendinopathy — Pain and stiffness in the Achilles tendon, usually load-related.
- Ankle Pain — Pain or restriction at the ankle, often after an old injury.
- Ankle Sprain — Ligament injury from rolling or twisting the ankle.
Think Foothills Chiropractic might be right for you?
Start Here walks you through what the process looks like, so you can decide whether taking the next step makes sense for you.