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What are taut bands?
- Taut bands refer to areas of tension or tightness within muscle fibers that can be palpated or felt by touch.
- These bands are usually associated with myofascial trigger points, which are hyperirritable points within a muscle that can cause pain and discomfort.
- In patients with myofascial pain, deep palpation of muscle may reveal areas that feel tight and bandlike.
- Stretching this band of muscle produces pain. This is a taut band.
What are the symptoms of Taut bands?
Taut bands can cause various symptoms, including
- localized pain
- referred pain to other areas of the body
- limited range of motion
- muscle stiffness
What causes this condition?
They can be caused by factors such as
- muscle overuse
- poor posture
- muscle imbalances
- trauma
- stress
- underlying medical conditions
How are they associated with trigger points?
Trigger points are characteristically found within taut bands of muscle.
When a muscle develops trigger points, it can create taut bands that feel like tight or rope-like structures within the muscle tissue.
These taut bands can be identified through palpation as areas that are firmer or denser than the surrounding muscle tissue.
Despite the muscle tension, taut bands are electrophysiologically silent (i.e., the electromyogram [EMG] is normal).
Rolling the taut band under the fingertip at the trigger point (snapping palpation) may produce a local “twitch” response.
How is this condition treated?
Treating this condition and associated trigger points often involves techniques aimed at releasing muscle tension and restoring normal muscle function.
This can include manual therapies like
- trigger point release
- myofascial release
- massage
- stretching
- therapeutic exercises
- Other modalities such as heat therapy, ultrasound, or dry needling may also be utilized in some cases
It’s important to note that the treatment of taut bands and trigger points should be individualized based on the specific needs and condition of the individual.
Consulting with a qualified healthcare professional, such as a physical therapist or a healthcare provider experienced in manual therapies, can help determine the best approach for addressing taut bands and managing associated symptoms.
Summary
- Taut bands (TB) are considered a hallmark of myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). Although readily palpable, they are elusive to capture on most standard imaging modalities. Here, a TB is visualized using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of a 40 year-old male patient who presented with persistent right shoulder pain.
- Physical examination revealed limited range of motion and pain on resisted contraction of the right trapezius accompanied by a palpable TB in the medial aspect of the muscle.
- Ultrasound imaging demonstrated an elongated hypoechogenic mass, and MRI was ordered to rule out a tumor.
- T2 MRI sequence with fat suppression showed a hyperintense string-like band within the involved muscle, enhanced on T1 following intravenous gadolinium injection, corresponding to the site of the palpable TB. Patient’s pain subsided following local anesthetic injection into the TB.
- Similar results were observed in two other patients, with clinical findings compatible with MPS of the trapezius and deltoid muscles. These images are likely the first representation of myofascial TB on standard MRI imaging.
- Future studies, preferably including post-treatment imaging, would be needed to confirm this observation. While advanced imaging techniques are rarely needed for the diagnosis of MPS, they may be useful to rule out other diagnoses in rare occasions.
Sources
Eran Keltz, Eyal Bercovich, Daniela Militianu, Amir Minerbi, Imaging of Myofascial Taut Bands Using Gadolinium-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Pain Medicine, Volume 23, Issue 7, July 2022, Pages 1336–1337, https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnac016
