Maryam Satarpour – mas1338@pitt.edu
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryam-satarpour-91727296/
Instagram: @maryy0saa
Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15221
United States

Additional Authors:
John M Cormack , Zhiyu Sheng, Yu-hsuan Chao,1 Allison Bean, Ryan Nussbaum, Jiantao Pu, Ajay D. Wasan, and Kang Kim

Popular version of 2aBAb5 – Three-dimensional vibration-controlled transient elastography in human subjects with myofascial trigger pain points
Presented at the 188th ASA Meeting
Read the abstract at https://eppro01.ativ.me//web/index.php?page=IntHtml&project=ASAICA25&id=3868533

–The research described in this Acoustics Lay Language Paper may not have yet been peer reviewed–

Almost everyone experiences back pain at some point in their lives. For many, this pain becomes long-lasting and difficult to manage. One possible cause of chronic back pain is myofascial trigger points. These are small, sensitive knots or tight spots in muscles that not only hurt when pressed but can also spread pain to other areas. Although physicians know these trigger points exist, they are very difficult to detect with current available medical imaging tools. This makes diagnosis and treatment more challenging.

In this research, we are developing a new ultrasound-based method to find these hidden painful spots more accurately. We tested this method on 32 volunteers,16 who had chronic low back pain and known trigger points, and 16 healthy individuals without pain. Our approach uses a small vibrating device placed on the lower back skin. This device produces vibration inside the lower back tissue so that the vibration wave propagates through the skin and muscles of the subject. The propagation speed of this wave called shear wave speed is directly related to stiffness of the tissues. We used an advanced type of three-dimensional ultrasound probe to capture how these waves traveled inside the muscles in three different directions.

Figure 1: experiment setup

By measuring the speed of the waves moving through the muscles, we could assess their stiffness knowing high speed indicates stiffer tissue. Our early results showed that muscles with trigger points had higher wave speeds, meaning they were stiffer compared to muscles without pain points. This finding is important because increased muscle stiffness could be a sign of the presence of painful trigger points.

If future studies confirm these findings, this technique could provide physicians with a valuable new tool for diagnosing chronic back pain related to myofascial trigger points. Unlike current methods that mostly rely on physical examination and patient reports, this method could offer objective and visual evidence of muscle problems. This might help guide treatment decisions and track patient progress more accurately.

By improving the way we see and measure muscle stiffness, this research could lead to better care for the many people experiencing chronic low back pain.