A Delphi Study: Defining a Unicorn

Abstract

Dear Editor, We read with interest the article by Fernández-de-las-Peñas and Dommerholt [1] and commend them for their effort. ... The trigger point (TrP) phenomenon is indeed a highly controversial topic in pain science [2], and this study draws attention to some of the issues. However, there are some problems in their article that should be pointed out: It is questionable whether the Delphi method is being used appropriately in this study. When discussing the TrP controversy, it seems appropriate to mention that other, possibly more credible alternative scientific explanations have been suggested, such as referred pain, either of peripheral nerve or somatic origin [3], or muscle spindle dysfunction [4]. Forming an agreement on diagnostic criteria based on the assumption that the TrP is a diagnosable entity is...