Failure to diagnose pain of muscular origin leads to unnecessary surgery.

Three patients who were scheduled for surgical procedures for a variety of diagnoses are presented. Each of the patients presented with pain that was interpreted as a result of an operable lesion. None of the patients was assessed for a possible muscular etiology of their pain prior to being evaluated at the author's pain center. In all three patients, muscles were identified that replicated their pain. Each patient received treatment to his or her pain-producing muscles. None of the contemplated surgeries was performed.