Dec. 14, 2007 

Mariana Iglesias 
507-284-5005 (days) 
507-284-2511 (evenings) 
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MRE Could Provide a Definitive Diagnosis for People with Muscle Pain, Mayo
Clinic Study Shows 

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- An estimated nine million men and women in the United States
live with myofascial pain syndrome, a condition marked by pain that permeates
muscles in the neck, back and shoulders. The condition is difficult to diagnose
and not entirely understood, but research studies indicate that a new imaging
technology developed at Mayo Clinic holds promise for a definitive diagnosis
and, perhaps eventually, new treatments for people who have the syndrome. 

A Mayo Clinic study published in the November issue of the Archives of Physical
Medicine and Rehabilitation shows that magnetic resonance elastography, or MRE,
can provide images of the affected muscle with clarity and insight not possible
with magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI. While an MRI uses a magnetic field and
radio waves to create clear and detailed cross-sectional images of the body's
internal tissues and organs, an MRE measures the elasticity of tissue as it is
gently vibrated.

"Additional research is necessary, but our findings in this pilot study provide
a strong basis to suspect that MRE technology can identify changes in muscle
tone and stiffness that could previously only be identified by physical
examination by a physician or a therapist," says Jeffrey Basford, M.D., Ph.D., a
Mayo Clinic specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation and an author of
the study. "Prior to these findings, we did not have a good diagnostic test for
myofascial pain syndrome."

An MRE employs standard MRI equipment with a few modifications, and works by
measuring the wavelength of vibrations sent through the tissues. A vibrating
metal plate is placed on the patient causing muscles to contract and stiffen.
When this occurs, researchers can measure the elasticity of muscles and detect
abnormal hardening of tissues, which in myofasical pain syndrome can cause pain.

The MRE technique is being applied to the diagnosis of other diseases, such as
liver disease ( <http://discoverysedge.mayo.edu/de07-1-biotech-ehman/>
http://discoverysedge.mayo.edu/de07-1-biotech-ehman/) and could also be used to
diagnose breast cancer and other tumors, which tend to be harder than the
surrounding normal tissue.

Myofascial pain syndrome is sometimes confused with fibromyalgia, but the two
conditions are clinically different. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition
typically characterized by widespread pain in muscles, ligaments and tendons, as
well as fatigue and multiple tender points. Myofascial pain syndrome, is a more
localized pain that is associated with trigger point tenderness. A trigger point
is a small lump in a band of tight muscle that, when pressed, triggers a
reproducible pattern of referred pain. 

"In the past, myofasical pain syndrome has been very difficult to diagnose.
These new findings may be the next step for a diagnosis and in the future may
help to refine treatment options," Dr. Basford says.

In some chronic cases of myofascial pain, combinations of physical therapy and
trigger point injections are needed to relieve pain. In addition, the condition
is sometimes treated with the "spray and stretch" technique, which involves
spraying the muscle and trigger point with a coolant and then slowly stretching
the muscle.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. 

Other Mayo Clinic collaborators include Kai-Nan An, Ph.D.; Sabine Bensamoun,
Ph.D.; Qingshan Chen; and Jeffrey Thompson, M.D. 

Mayo Clinic, through a dedicated focus on individual patient needs, provides
diagnostic and treatment services in every sub-specialty at its locations in
Rochester, Minnesota; Jacksonville, Florida and Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona.

# # #

To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to
<file://www.mayoclinic.org/news> www.mayoclinic.org/news. MayoClinic.com (
<file://www.mayoclinic.com> www.mayoclinic.com) is available as a resource for
your health stories.


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