Reliability, Validity, Reproducibility of Algometry in Diagnosis of Active and Latent Tender Spots and Trigger Points

SUMMARY

This summarizes our group's 10 years of experience with pressure algometry in routine clinical practice and research.

Results: Pressure pain threshold and tolerance measurements are reliable for quantitative evaluation of pain and dysfunction. Pressure algometry provides a semiobjective method for estimation of treatment results. Pressure algometry motivates patients in their home treatment and training programs. Pressure algometry assists in diagnosis and prognosis. Pressure algometry can be used for simple quality control and more sophisticated research. Pressure algometry showed good interrater and intrarater correlation and reliability including the range of all age groups from children to elderly and both sexes.

Conclusions: Algometry in our extensive experience is a reliable reproducible method for quantification of local tenderness in clinical practice and research. Standardized methodology and equipment is crucial for reliable and valid measurement in algometry.

KEYWORDS:

• Algometry
• pain threshold
• pain tolerance
• trigger point
• myofascial pain