[Pain sites in the sternocleidomastoid muscle trigger points and the gender-related factors]

To study gender-related factors in the painful sites and degree of pains in the trigger points of the sternocleidomastoid muscle.

The trigger points of the sternocleidomastoid muscle of healthy volunteers of either gender with different ages were examined by measurable pressure using the right thumb, and the pain degree was assessed with visual analog scale (VAS).

The VAS score was 5.226+/-0.331 in senior male subjects and 5.531+/-0.379 in senior female subjects, without significant differences between them (P>0.05). Nor was significant difference detected between the scores of young male and female subjects (2.940+/-0.331 vs 3.982+/-0.405, P>0.05). In terms of the pain severity, the difference was significant between the medial and anterior areas and between the medial and posterior areas of the mastoid process (P<0.05), but not between the anterior and posterior areas of the mastoid process (P>0.05).

There is no significant gender-related difference in the pain in the trigger points of the sternocleidomastoid muscle elicited by compression with the right thumb. The anterior and posterior areas of the mastoid process are relatively sensitive to compression pain.