Summarizing the Differences
| Tender Points | Trigger Points |
| The specific point is tender. | The point itself may or may not be tender. |
| Tender points do not cause referred pain. | Trigger points refer pain to other areas. |
| There are always multiple points. | There may be a single point or multiple points. |
| Points occur in specific symmetrical locations. | Points may occur in any skeletal muscle. |
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Sources:
Alvarez, D.J. and Rockwell, P.G. (2002, February, 15). "Trigger Points: Diagnosis and Management." American Family Physician, 65/No. 4, Retrieved May 25, 2008, from http://www.aafp.org/afp/20020215/653.html
Fibromyalgia Tender Points Identified By The American College of Rheumatology in 1990. Retrieved May 25, 2008, from FM Partnership Web site: http://www.fmpartnership.org/tender_points.htm
© 2008 Karen Lee Richards
Last updated: 12/26/08
