Table 1 Patient and physician characteristic and frequencies of diagnostic criteria

Patient characteristics

Age [a], m ± SD (min – max)

51.0 ± 15.1 (21 – 84)

BMI [kg/m²], m ± SD (min – max)

25.1 ± 5.1 (13 – 43)

Gender, n (%)

female / male

40 (66) / 21 (34)

MPSS, n (%)

stage 1

1 (2)

stage 2

17 (28)

stage 3

43 (70)

Number of diagnoses, m ± SD (min – max)

3.7 ± 1.5) (1 – 8)

Physician characteristics

Age [a], m ± SD (min – max)

44.2 ± 9.3 (32—54)

Gender, n (%)

female / male

- / 5 (100)

Clinical experience

15.0 8.3 (4 – 24)

 Medical specialization

Physical and rehabilitation medicine

4 (80)

Anesthesia

1 (20)

 Additional qualifications

Pain medicine

1 (20)

Manual medicine

5 (100)

Sports medicine

3 (60)

Acupuncture

2 (40)

Diagnostic criteria, n (%)

M. trapezius

M. levator scapulae

left

right

left

right

 Taut band

38 (62)

40 (66)

11 (18)

13 (21)

 Nodule

within a taut band

19 (31)

17 (28)

8 (13)

3 (5)

outside of a taut band

2 (3)

-

-

-

 Spot hypersensitive to pressure

within a taut band

30 (49)

28 (46)

10 (16)

8 (13)

of those with recognizable local pain

22 (36)

25 (41)

8 (13)

5 (8)

outside of a taut band

4 (7)

4 (7)

1 (2)

3 (5)

of those with recognizable local pain

1 (2)

1 (2)

1 (2)

1 (2)

 Referred pain

total

18 (30)

20 (33)

7 (11)

5 (8)

of those recognizable referred pain

13 (21)

15 (25)

5 (8)

5 (8)

Jump sign

7 (11)

6 (10)

1 (2)

2 (3)

Local twitch response

1 (2)

-

-

-

Restricted range of motion

10 (16)

7 (11)

3 (5)

5 (8)

Muscular weakness

6 (10)

2 (3)

2 (3)

3 (5)

Pain during contraction

14 (23)

9 (15)

3 (5)

4 (7)

Autonomic phenomena

2 (3)

2 (3)

-

-

Pain exacerbation during emotional stress

15 (25)

11 (18)

5 (8)

5 (8)