Which statement about pain radiation upon palpation differentiates trigger points from tender points?

• A. Tender points radiate pain when pressed.
• B. Trigger points are painful when pressed and the pain radiates.
• C. Both trigger and tender points radiate.
• D. Neither type radiates.

Answer: (B)

Pain radiation with palpation identifies trigger points. Trigger points are hyperirritable spots within a taut muscle band that hurt when pressed and often cause pain to radiate or refer to distant areas along a predictable pattern. Tender points, in contrast, produce tenderness only at the palpation site without radiating to other regions. So the key distinction is that trigger points generate referred pain upon palpation, whereas tender points do not.