What is the difference in locations between trigger points and tender points?

What is the difference in locations between trigger points and tender points?

• A. Trigger points are located in muscles.
• B. Trigger points are located in tendons.
• C. Tender points are only in muscles.
• D. Tender points occur in muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia.

Answer: (D)

Trigger points are localized, hyperirritable spots within skeletal muscle tissue, typically inside a taut muscle band. Tender points, by contrast, can be painful sites not only in muscle but also in surrounding connective tissues such as tendons, ligaments, and fascia. So the key difference is that trigger points stay within muscle fibers, while tender points can occur across multiple tissue types, including muscle, tendons, ligaments, and fascia. This is why describing tender points as occurring in muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia is the most accurate.

Trigger points are localized, hyperirritable spots within skeletal muscle tissue, typically inside a taut muscle band. Tender points, by contrast, can be painful sites not only in muscle but also in surrounding connective tissues such as tendons, ligaments, and fascia. So the key difference is that trigger points stay within muscle fibers, while tender points can occur across multiple tissue types, including muscle, tendons, ligaments, and fascia. This is why describing tender points as occurring in muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia is the most accurate.