Multi-modal Imaging of Myofascial Pain

This study aims to develop a multi-modal, multi-parametric, multi-scale imaging of the human myofascial unit by combining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), surface electromyography (sEMG), and fiber-optic imaging and sensing.

Participants (half with active neck/shoulder/back pain, and half healthy controls) will be recruited from pain management clinics and Volunteer for Health, or will be referred by Dr. Xioabin Yi. They will undergo all three imaging techniques and complete a number of patient questionnaires over the course of a single study visit. The study team will then identify candidate biomarkers capable of differentiating between healthy (no myofascial pain) and those with active pain to target in a future clinical trial.

Healthy Volunteer Inclusion Criteria:

• Absence of a history of chronic pain in the targeted anatomical location (i.e., neck and shoulder) that had limited activities of daily living or work
• A numerical current pain index of lower than 0.5 according to initial assessment with visual analog scale
• Able to understand the goal of the project and give informed consent.

Healthy Volunteer Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Contraindication to MRI
• Previous severe/acute neck or shoulder injury
• Previous neck or shoulder surgery
• Neck or shoulder deformities
• Inability to provide consent.

Myofascial Pain Patient Inclusion Criteria:

• Between the ages of 18 and 80 years old
• Neck and/or shoulder pain, unilateral or bilateral
• Duration of symptoms for longer than 4 weeks
• Pain scale at the active state higher than 4 according to initial assessment with visual analog scale
• Presence of active trigger point(s) according to palpation and/or presence of taut band

Myofascial Pain Patient Exclusion Criteria:

• Recent history of trauma to the neck (e.g., whiplash)
• Acute cervical radiculopathy
• Acute cervical spine pain component or acute cervical spinal pathology Presence of neuromuscular pathologies or inflammatory muscle diseases (e.g., dermatomyositis)
• Systemic disease with diffuse body pain (e.g., system lupus erythematosus and and thyroid disease)
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Cancer-related pain
• Pregnancy, coagulopathy, fever, general/local infection at the pain site, substance abuse, peripheral neuropathy, or any other diseases that may account for signs and symptoms mimicking myofascial pain
• Contraindication to MRI.