Skip to main content
Skip to main content

119 muscles · 266 trigger points · 281 studies

A clearer wayto understandchronic muscle pain.

MyofascialPain.com is a visual atlas of trigger points, referred pain patterns, and practical care protocols.

Find Your Pain Open the Atlas
Search
Author
Marcus Yu Bin Pai, MD PhD
Funding
Independent, ad-free
Sources
Cited, evidence noted
Fig. 01 · Upper trapezius, TrP13/4 posterior · left
Skeleton seen from behind and to the left, upper trapezius in blue, head turned to show the left temple
Trigger pointSuperior free border, midway between the acromion and the cervical spineEssential zoneUp the side of the neck, behind and over the ear, to the templeSpilloverAngle of the jaw, back of the head, behind the eyeAfter Travell & Simons, Vol. 1. Often taken for tension-type headache.
119muscles in the Atlas, with anatomy and available trigger-point and referred-pain patterns266trigger points indexed across those muscles, with referral patterns and treatment notes200+long-form articles on conditions, therapies, and self-care protocols281peer-reviewed studies, ranked by relevance
8languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Hindi
01Start with your pain

Start where you feel it.

Pick a region. You see the muscles that can refer pain there, ranked by mapped trigger points. Open it for the full map and self-care.

A muscle can sit in more than one region, so rows do not sum to 119.

02Three tools
01Trigger Point Atlas119 muscles with anatomy and available trigger-point and referred-pain patterns.Open the Atlas →02DiagnosePattern recognition tools to identify what’s causing your pain.Pain locatorPain patternsDifferentialsStart Diagnosing →03TreatEvidence-graded therapies, protocols, and self-care.Self-careManual therapy & needlingMedicationsExplore Treatments →
03Featured reading

Start with the most common patterns.

Featured · Head & Neck · 12 MIN READ · REVIEWED APR 2026Upper trapezius trigger points and tension-type headache

When trigger points in the upper trapezius refer pain to the temple and behind the eye, they’re often misdiagnosed as tension-type headache. A clinical primer.

SourceUpper trapezius
Felt asTemple, behind the eye
Often read asTension-type headache
04Pick your path
05 · The literature
281peer-reviewed studies, ranked by relevance
Open the research index →
How evidence is graded
StrongSeveral well-designed randomized trials or systematic reviews agree.
ModerateConsistent observational results, or a small number of trials.
WeakExpert consensus, case series, or mechanism without controlled trials.
06When to seek care

Most muscle pain isn’t a sign of anything serious.

It usually eases within a few weeks with gentle movement, warmth, and time. A few signs, though, mean it’s worth being checked rather than self-treating.

See a clinician if

Within days
  1. 01The pain hasn’t improved after a few weeks, or keeps getting worse
  2. 02It wakes you at night, or rest and changing position don’t ease it
  3. 03You have numbness, tingling, or weakness that spreads or won’t settle
  4. 04It began after a significant fall or accident
  5. 05You also have fever, unexplained weight loss, or feel generally unwell
  6. 06You have a history of cancer

Seek urgent care now if

Today
  1. 01You lose control of your bladder or bowels, or feel numb around the groin or inner thighs
  2. 02A limb becomes suddenly weak or numb
  3. 03You have chest pain, or pain spreading to the arm, jaw, or back with breathlessness or sweating
  4. 04You have a sudden, severe headache unlike any before

This is general guidance, not a diagnosis. If you’re unsure, contact a health professional or your local emergency number.