Myofascial headache | Constant dull pain, occasionally shooting pain | Trigger points on scalp, muscle tenderness, and tension |
Transformed migraine | Initially migraine-like, becomes constant, dull, nausea, vomiting | Muscle tenderness and tension, normal neurologic examination |
Fibromyalgia | Diffuse muscular pain, stiffness, fatigue, sleep disturbance | Diffuse muscle tenderness, > 11 trigger points |
Myofascial back pain syndrome | Constant dull pain, occasionally shooting pain, pain does not follow nerve distribution | Trigger points in area of pain, usually no muscle atrophy, poor ROM in involved muscle |
Chronic back pain | Constant dull pain, occasionally shooting pain, pain does not follow nerve distribution | No trigger points, poor ROM in involved muscle |
Sciatica (Neurogenic back pain) | Constant or intermittent, burning or aching, shooting or electric shock-like, may follow dermatome; leg pain > back pain | Possible muscle atrophy in area of pain, possible reflex changes |
Complex regional pain types I and II | Burning persistent pain, allodynia, associated with immobilization/ disuse (type I) or peripheral nerve injury (type II) | Early: edema, warmth, local sweating; Late: the early signs alternate with cold, pale, cyanosis, eventually atrophic changes |
Postherpetic neuralgia | Allodynia, shooting, lancinating pain | Sensory changes in the involved dermatome |
Painful diabetic neuropathy | Symmetric numbness and burning or stabbing pain in lower extremities; allodynia may occur | Sensory loss in lower extremities |
Phantom limb pain | Variable: aching, cramping, burning, squeezing or tearing sensation | May have peri-incisional sensory loss |