Quantitative EMG and muscle tension in painful muscles in fibromyalgia

Abstract

Examinations were performed in 22 female fibromyalgic patients and in 9 healthy controls. The biceps brachii, trapezius, and tibial anterior muscles were examined electromyographically. The changes found were minor and non-specific. This implies that there is no important loss of motor units and no conspicuous muscle fiber degeneration in fibromyalgia. Our investigation also failed to demonstrate any electrically detectable muscle activity in muscles where the patients during the examination reported pain (paraspinal, trapezius and tibial anterior muscles). This means that muscle tension cannot be a prominent pathogenetic factor in fibromyalgia and that factors other than muscle tension are responsible for maintaining the pain in fibromyalgia.