High prevalence of shoulder girdle muscles with myofascial trigger points in patients with shoulder pain

Background: Shoulder pain is reported to be highly prevalent and tends to be recurrent or persistent despite medical treatment. The pathophysiological mechanisms of shoulder pain are poorly understood. Furthermore, there is little evidence supporting the effectiveness of current treatment protocols. Although myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) are rarely mentioned in relation to shoulder pain, they may present an alternative underlying mechanism, which would provide new treatment targets through MTrP inactivation. While previous research has demonstrated that trained physiotherapists can reliably identify MTrPs in patients with shoulder pain, the percentage of patients who actually have MTrPs remains unclear. The aim of this observational study was to assess the prevalence of muscles with MTrPs and the association between MTrPs and the severity of pain and functioning in patients with chronic non-traumatic unilateral shoulder pain. Methods: An observational study was conducted. Subjects were recruited from patients participating in a controlled trial studying the effectiveness of physical therapy on patients with unilateral non-traumatic shoulder pain. Sociodemographic and patient-reported symptom scores, including the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) Questionnaire, and Visual Analogue Scales for Pain were compared with other studies. To test for differences in age, gender distribution, and education level between the current study population and the populations from Dutch shoulder studies, the one sample T-test was used. One observer examined all subjects (n = 72) for the presence of MTrPs. Frequency distributions, means, medians, standard deviations, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for descriptive purposes. The Spearman's rank-order correlation (rho) was used to test for association between variables. Results: MTrPs were identified in all subjects. The median number of muscles with MTrPs per subject was 6 (active MTrPs) and 4 (latent MTrPs). Active MTrPs were most prevalent in the infraspinatus (77%) and the upper trapezius muscles (58%), whereas latent MTrPs were most prevalent in the teres major (49%) and anterior deltoid muscles (38%). The number of muscles with active MTrPs was only moderately correlated with the DASH score. Conclusion: The prevalence of muscles containing active and latent MTrPs in a sample of patients with chronic non-traumatic shoulder pain was high

Data for: Long-term patterns of benthic irradiance and kelp production in the central Beaufort Sea reveal implications of warming for Arctic inner shelves

Surface and underwater photosyntheically active radiation (PAR) for the Boulder Patch, Stefansson Sound, Alaska. Year range:1984-2015

Biodiversity of benthic macro-and microalgae from Svalbard with special focus on Kongsfjorden

Several floristic studies on macroalgae of Svalbard have been published, but as access to the archipelago is difficult, these studies are scattered and often only cover single sites and habitats. Kongsfjorden, Isfjorden and Hornsund are the three most comprehensively investigated areas, and most of the species information comes from these three fjords. Quantitative and structured sublittoral sampling has been undertaken along depth transects and along the fjord only in Kongsfjorden. Clear dif-ferences are found from the outer to the inner parts of the fjord. Macroalgal biodiversity data from Kongsfjorden are presented in detail and compared to data for the whole archipelago. In total 197 species of macroalgae have been recorded for Svalbard; 84 of these occur in Kongsfjorden. The current taxonomic status of some species is discussed. Changes in the macroalgal flora during the last decades for Svalbard in general and in Kongsfjorden in particular, are summarised and possible causes discussed. Information on biodiversity of microphytobenthos is very scarce, and investigations in Kongsfjorden on benthic diatoms from soft bottom and biotic surfaces provide the first floristic information available. A total of 69 diatoms species have been identified and form a first baseline for a high-latitude fjord system. Biodiversity is relatively low compared to other sandy marine shallow water areas of temperate regions as indicated by the Shannon-Weaver index. Some data on epiphytic diatoms colonising seaweeds are available. Benthic diatoms colonise large parts of Kongsfjorden in high abundances and, in addition to macroalgae, are important as primary producers and therefore also for trophic relationships in the harsh Arctic environment