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Prevalence and Predictive Factors of Active Myofascial Trigger Points Among Office Workers Using to Visual Display
Emilio José Poveda-Pagán1,2, Carlos Lozano-Quijada1,2, Sergio Hernández-Sánchez1,2
1Department of Pathology and Surgery, Miguel Hernández University, Alicante.
Objective:
To determine the prevalence of active myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in office workers who sit for extended periods and use visual display terminals for ≥4 hours a day. Identify predictive factors associated with MTrP activation.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Setting:
Administration and services departments in municipal settings (January-August 2025).
Participants:
A total of 305 municipal volunteer employees (N=305; 133 men: 36.30±8.80y; 172 women: 37.59±9.44y) aged 18-65 years who worked at a video display terminal for ≥4 hours daily were included.
Interventions:
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures:
Participants completed the Neck Disability Index and Oswestry Disability Index. A physiotherapist specialized in myofascial pain assessed bilateral MTrPs in cervical and lumbogluteal muscles using standardized palpation and algometry. Logistic regression models were developed to identify predictive factors, and model performance was evaluated through receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.
Results:
Active MTrPs were found in 40% of participants in the right trapezius (25% men; 54% women), 35% in the left trapezius (18% men; 48% women), and 20% in the right sternocleidomastoid (9% men; 28% women), with consistently higher prevalence in women. Neck Disability Index and Oswestry Disability Index scores were identified as significant predictor factors (odds ratio>1), whereas higher pressure pain thresholds were protective (odds ratio<1). The models demonstrated good discriminative ability (area under the curve, 0.74-0.88) and high sensitivity (∼90%).
Conclusions:
Active MTrPs show high prevalence among office workers, particularly in women and the cervical region. Disability scores were associated with increased MTrP activation, whereas higher pressure pain thresholds were linked to lower activation. These findings suggest that incorporating algometry into musculoskeletal assessments and strengthening programs for cervical, scapular, and lumbar muscles may help prevent myofascial pain and disability in sedentary workers.