Myofascial Trigger Points

annepage

Anyone have experience in dealing with these long term (also, which part of the body if you don't mind)? How long did your recovery take?


Thanks in advance.

iqbalkaurthin

I have them all over my body and hence my recovery is taking long. Its been 6 years now since I was diagnosed with Fibro and related trigger points. However, I am working on muscle strengthening as trigger points occurs more on weak muscles and I have seen some improvement

michellepenrodschnee

I'm not sure there is a full recovery for these... or maybe it's just me ! I have Fibro and myofacial pain is my biggie. Mostly in my mid-back, shoulders and neck due to the added trauma of car accidents. I went thru months of physical therapy exercises and stretches and manipulation... I have made improvements each time but the trigger point is still in there and will still get aggitated if I push too hard.

I don't take any of the meds as far as Cymbalta, Topomax etc anymore... I tried and they just did not work, except to put 20 lbs on me. Over the last 3 years, the only release for these I have found was theraputic message. Any message is nice, but there are professionals out there who specialize in body mechanics and especially these: Neuromuscular Therapy, Deep Tissue, and Myofascial Structural Integration. They can not only work on the knots but they sorta move the musculature around so that it functions at it's best. It is AMAZING!

Also, depending on how much discomfort you can handle or how much you are willing to for some relief (:)) there is also a treatment called Dry Needling. It has come about thru a sort of east meets west... they offer trigger point injections that put a pain numbing med into the muscle tissue (another option), but research showed the improvement that was happening for patients was less about the meds and more about the needle entering the trigger point and breaking up the tissue. So they use acupuncture needles to penetrate the trigger points. There are many Physical Therapists now getting "certified in this" but I found a guy who is trained accupuncture, body mechanics etc with years of experience... I feel better about that. By no means will this be pleasant for most people (unless you are one that kinda enjoys the release when someone really pushes on the knots!) and you will be very sore the next day... you will need a rest/sleep day after. BUT the day after that, you will be amazed!!! The soreness still exists but now it feels like you did a good workout instead of feeling like someone is sticking a hot steel blade into your back . It's the only thing I have ever found to relieve that nagging prickly pain that happens when the nerves get caught in the trigger point!

Like we have all learned, everyone of us has different limits and we can only gently test the waters to see what works..this isn't for everyone, but I wanted to put it out there .

WifeofPastor

We had a lady in our congregation who was receiving the dry needle therapy and she found it really helped to release the knots but found it didn't last for very long. It has taken 20 years for a Dr. to finally give me a diagnosis that works, Chronic Myofascial Pain (CMP), she told me to research it and sure enough it fits me like a glove. I had a wonderful lady in the last place I lived who gave me the best massages ever, she really knew how to work those knots and like you mine are in my kneck, shoulders, back and hips. I also have osteoarthritis which is a side issue that can come with CMP. Because they could not give me a diagnosis on my chronic pain I chose to go the route of medication, so straight pain meds, my stomach is shot due to the anti-inflammatorys over the years, so can no longer take them. As long as I keep up a regular dose of pain meds I can function, except for those days when a trigger goes off and there is nothing I can do but live through it until it fixes itself. That happened yesterday, the pain was excruciating, I got very little sleep last night, today it is bearable, but I dread get out of this chair to climb to flights of stairs to bed and laying down is the worst.
We all do what works for us and maybe I will try the dry needle therapy if my Dr. recommends it, for now I have found a new massage person who does CMP and bodywork massage I am hoping she is as good as the one I had before I moved here, because so far I've only found people who put me out of commission because they don't understand my condition, obviously nor did I until just recently. I'm hopeful now that I can finally get help. Thanks for posting about the needle therapy.

michellepenrodschnee

Sure! Glad to be able to share any experience that helps others get thru this too.

I am pretty sure the CMP should be added to my diagnosis but I figured another issue on my chart wasn't going to change much at this point... in the meantime, I just try to balance the dry needling and message with ALOT of stretching. I would agree with your friend though that - at least for those of us with chronic issues - it isn't a permanant solution. It's more of a maintenance option. For me, it takes too long for the kink to work itself out...and the inflammation that it causes tends to have a domino affect! So I will bear the discomfort for the relief and to stop it from going further. Of course, like you, we just found out we will be moving due to a job offer for my husband... I have no idea what I will do without my needling guy!

WifeofPastor

To correct some wrong information that I keep seeing. Fibromialgia (FM) does NOT have trigger points (TrP). TrP are in Chronic Myofascial Pain (CMP). TrP are in the Myofascial and the pain is not where the TrP's are but radiate in other areas. FM and CMP are often lumped together but they are two different conditions. It is possible to have both but realize that TrP's are related to CMP and not FM. If you want to understand further may I suggest the book:

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain: A Survival Manual (2nd Edition) [Paperback]
Devin J. Starlanyl (Author), Mary Ellen Copeland (Author)

I am still reading this book and am finding it extremely informative. According to the authors many physicians do not realize there is a difference and these are two separate and distinct diseases. That is not to say that if you have FM you don't have CMP as they are often found in patients. If you have TrP's then you have CMP not FM not to say you don't also have FM.

xstarxdustx

bump.