Review argues trigger points may be a primary cause of equine lameness

A new review in Frontiers in Veterinary Science argues that myofascial trigger points, or MTrPs, may be an underrecognized primary cause of equine lameness, not just a secondary consequence of orthopedic disease. The paper, by Markus Scheibenpflug and Kevin K. Haussler, says current lameness workups remain heavily focused on joints, tendons, diagnostic analgesia, and imaging, which can miss muscle-based pain generators. The authors point to evidence that MTrPs can produce local and referred pain, alter muscle activation, and mimic distal limb pathology, and they recommend adding systematic myofascial palpation to routine lameness exams as a first-tier step. (frontiersin.org)

Why it matters: For equine veterinarians, the review is a reminder that vague gait asymmetry, poor performance, back pain, or “non-localizing” lameness may not always originate in the distal limb. The paper connects earlier electrophysiology work showing trigger point-like activity in equine muscle with newer prevalence studies in sport horses, including research finding MTrPs in clinically sound dressage and show-jumping horses and another study reporting objective changes in pain-related measures at trigger point sites. That doesn’t settle causation, but it strengthens the case for including muscle palpation, pain assessment, and rehabilitation-minded differentials earlier in the diagnostic pathway. (journals.sagepub.com)

What to watch: Whether prospective clinical studies show that adding structured myofascial assessment improves localization, reduces unnecessary imaging or nerve blocks, or changes treatment outcomes in lame horses. (frontiersin.org)