What are these Muscle Pain and Soft Tissue Pain secrets?
Muscle Pain and Soft Tissue Pain sources can often be difficult to pinpoint, because the pain is felt in a location that is not the source of the problem, and if not treated properly is oftentimes difficult to resolve. That is why it has been deemed as a Hidden Source of Pain. This hidden pain source is known as Myofascial Pain or Myofascial Pain Syndrome.
What is Myofascial Pain Syndrome?
If it feels like your muscles are literally in knots, and pressing on those knots creates pain someplace else on your body, then you are more than likely experiencing Myofascial Pain, also known as Myofascial Pain Syndrome. The prefix Myo means muscle, and the suffix Fascia means connective tissue, therefore the word Myofascial translates to muscle and connective tissue. The word Syndrome basically means a group of symptoms. In essence, Myofascial Pain Syndrome literally means muscle and connective tissue pain symptoms. Myofascial Pain Syndrome is directly related to and associated with Trigger Points.
What is the definition of a Trigger Point?
Trigger Points are extremely irritable knots in taut bands of muscle and connective tissue that can produce tenderness, a twitch response in part of the soft tissue, and a neurological phenomenon of referred pain to different locations of the body when external pressure is placed upon them, hence the term Trigger Point.
What are some descriptions of the response generated by putting external pressure on a Trigger Point?
When external pressure is exerted upon a Trigger Point, the descriptions of the result of that pressure vary according to the patient, the source of the problem, and where the symptoms are referred to. Some symptoms have been labeled as being tender, burning, searing, itching, tingling, twitching, and electrical in feeling.
Where are Trigger Points usually located?
Trigger Points are usually located in different soft tissue area such as tendon, ligament, muscle, tendon, scar tissue, joint capsules, and skin. Trigger Points can be caused by other trigger points, infection, disease, radiculopathy-nerve root pain, direct trauma to soft tissue, repetitive stress injury, smoking, or psychological distress. Trigger points can make the pain worse by inhibiting blood flow unless treated. Trigger Points have predictable pain patterns that can overlap, different characteristics, qualities, and often require extensive and often intensive treatment to eliminate them.
What are some characteristics of Trigger Points?
Key Trigger Points have pain referral patterns that activate or create a Latent trigger point along a nerve pathway. Key trigger points also activate Satellite Trigger Points in other soft tissue structures. Both must be treated in order to alleviate both sources of pain. Latent Trigger Points only refer pain when some type of pressure or force is placed upon the trigger point itself or to the soft tissue structure where the latent trigger point is located. Active Trigger Points actively refer pain along nerve pathways locally, or to adjacent locations. Primary trigger points may activate Secondary trigger points in other structures, and again, both must be treated in order to alleviate both sources of pain.
What are the treatment options for Myofascial Pain Syndrome?
There are a variety of treatment options depending upon the health or medical practitioner that include spray and stretch using a vapocoolant spray, electrostimulation, ischemic compression, low-level laser therapy, ultrasound, dry needling, injections, and medical massage therapy emphasizing the specified treatment of trigger points. Stretch and spray technique is performed with a coolant that is sprayed on the muscle and trigger point, and then the muscle is slowly stretched. Lidocaine injections can be performed by Physiatrists, but Muscle Soreness is a common side effect for that technique and many others.
What is an effective and proven treatment method for Myofascial Pain?
A highly skilled Medical Massage Therapist can apply a combination of Myofascial Release, Quasi-Static Pressure, Muscle Energy Technique, and Counterstrain to get rid of Myofascial Pain and can minimize the effects of Muscle Soreness simultaneously. Muscle Energy Technique and Counterstrain work on sensors in soft tissue known as Proprioceptors to relax muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Myofascial Release stretches and loosens the Fascia so that your body can move freely, removing pain and restriction. Quasi-Static pressure works within the patients pain tolerance.
Is it enough just to directly treat Myofascial Pain Syndrome and Trigger Points?
It is important for all of us to understand that Myofascial Pain Syndrome and Trigger Points represent the effect of a problem or problems, and not the cause of a problem. This means that Myofascial Pain or Trigger Points were created by something, and that something most commonly is some kind of soft tissue injury. In most cases, the injury is caused by repetitive stress, trauma, or weakness. This means that we must look beyond the direct treatment of Myofascial Pain or Trigger Points if we are to truly resolve both the cause and effect of the problems we are experiencing, or we will more than likely have to treat the same conditions over and over again.
How can we make sure that Myofascial Pain and Trigger Points don't return after they are treated?
The source of repetitive stress must be alleviated to provide for a rehabilitative environment if that is the problem, or healing will never take place. Weakness is usually a very big cause of the problem, and lengthening and stretching already overstretched Muscle Groups will make muscles that are already weak even weaker. Likewise, strengthening the wrong muscle groups will only serve to make the problem worse, not better.
What needs to happen before we treat Myofascial Pain?
A skilled Medical Massage Therapist or other Healthcare Professional should conduct a Diagnostic Pain Assessment consisting of tests for Soft Tissue Palpation, Muscular Strength, Muscular Weakness, AROM-Active Range of Motion, PROM-Passive Range of Motion, and RROM-Resisted Range of Motion prior to treatment for Myofascial Pain and Trigger Points. Assessment outcome will determine an effective treatment plan for shortened soft tissue structures that need to be lengthened, and weak muscles and soft tissue that need to be strengthened, as well as providing the Therapist with a Map of the Trigger Points and soft tissue dysfunction that was encountered.
What should be done at home to enhance the effective treatment of our soft tissue problems?
If repetitive stress, muscle weakness, and shortened musculature is the cause of the problem, then Myofascial Pain Syndrome cannot be treated solely and effectively by a healthcare practitioner. Myofascial Pain treatment will benefit from applications of hydrotherapy, stretching and strengthening, and self-trigger point therapy at home to prevent reoccurrence of trigger point restriction, increase blood flow, maintain flexibility, and promote healing.
What then is the best Myofascial Pain Syndrome overall treatment approach?
An organized, multi-faceted treatment approach, put together by a highly skilled Medical Massage Therapist, based upon the results of a Diagnostic Pain Assessment, Cutting Edge Medical Massage Therapy, and At-Home Rehabilitation is the very best way to ensure that the Myofascial Pain and Trigger Points we are experiencing will be effectively eliminated and will never bother us again.
Muscle Pain and Soft Tissue Pain sources can often be difficult to pinpoint, because the pain is felt in a location that is not the source of the problem, and if not treated properly is oftentimes difficult to resolve. That is why it has been deemed as a Hidden Source of Pain. This hidden pain source is known as Myofascial Pain or Myofascial Pain Syndrome.
What is Myofascial Pain Syndrome?
If it feels like your muscles are literally in knots, and pressing on those knots creates pain someplace else on your body, then you are more than likely experiencing Myofascial Pain, also known as Myofascial Pain Syndrome. The prefix Myo means muscle, and the suffix Fascia means connective tissue, therefore the word Myofascial translates to muscle and connective tissue. The word Syndrome basically means a group of symptoms. In essence, Myofascial Pain Syndrome literally means muscle and connective tissue pain symptoms. Myofascial Pain Syndrome is directly related to and associated with Trigger Points.
What is the definition of a Trigger Point?
Trigger Points are extremely irritable knots in taut bands of muscle and connective tissue that can produce tenderness, a twitch response in part of the soft tissue, and a neurological phenomenon of referred pain to different locations of the body when external pressure is placed upon them, hence the term Trigger Point.
What are some descriptions of the response generated by putting external pressure on a Trigger Point?
When external pressure is exerted upon a Trigger Point, the descriptions of the result of that pressure vary according to the patient, the source of the problem, and where the symptoms are referred to. Some symptoms have been labeled as being tender, burning, searing, itching, tingling, twitching, and electrical in feeling.
Where are Trigger Points usually located?
Trigger Points are usually located in different soft tissue area such as tendon, ligament, muscle, tendon, scar tissue, joint capsules, and skin. Trigger Points can be caused by other trigger points, infection, disease, radiculopathy-nerve root pain, direct trauma to soft tissue, repetitive stress injury, smoking, or psychological distress. Trigger points can make the pain worse by inhibiting blood flow unless treated. Trigger Points have predictable pain patterns that can overlap, different characteristics, qualities, and often require extensive and often intensive treatment to eliminate them.
What are some characteristics of Trigger Points?
Key Trigger Points have pain referral patterns that activate or create a Latent trigger point along a nerve pathway. Key trigger points also activate Satellite Trigger Points in other soft tissue structures. Both must be treated in order to alleviate both sources of pain. Latent Trigger Points only refer pain when some type of pressure or force is placed upon the trigger point itself or to the soft tissue structure where the latent trigger point is located. Active Trigger Points actively refer pain along nerve pathways locally, or to adjacent locations. Primary trigger points may activate Secondary trigger points in other structures, and again, both must be treated in order to alleviate both sources of pain.
What are the treatment options for Myofascial Pain Syndrome?
There are a variety of treatment options depending upon the health or medical practitioner that include spray and stretch using a vapocoolant spray, electrostimulation, ischemic compression, low-level laser therapy, ultrasound, dry needling, injections, and medical massage therapy emphasizing the specified treatment of trigger points. Stretch and spray technique is performed with a coolant that is sprayed on the muscle and trigger point, and then the muscle is slowly stretched. Lidocaine injections can be performed by Physiatrists, but Muscle Soreness is a common side effect for that technique and many others.
What is an effective and proven treatment method for Myofascial Pain?
A highly skilled Medical Massage Therapist can apply a combination of Myofascial Release, Quasi-Static Pressure, Muscle Energy Technique, and Counterstrain to get rid of Myofascial Pain and can minimize the effects of Muscle Soreness simultaneously. Muscle Energy Technique and Counterstrain work on sensors in soft tissue known as Proprioceptors to relax muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Myofascial Release stretches and loosens the Fascia so that your body can move freely, removing pain and restriction. Quasi-Static pressure works within the patients pain tolerance.
Is it enough just to directly treat Myofascial Pain Syndrome and Trigger Points?
It is important for all of us to understand that Myofascial Pain Syndrome and Trigger Points represent the effect of a problem or problems, and not the cause of a problem. This means that Myofascial Pain or Trigger Points were created by something, and that something most commonly is some kind of soft tissue injury. In most cases, the injury is caused by repetitive stress, trauma, or weakness. This means that we must look beyond the direct treatment of Myofascial Pain or Trigger Points if we are to truly resolve both the cause and effect of the problems we are experiencing, or we will more than likely have to treat the same conditions over and over again.
How can we make sure that Myofascial Pain and Trigger Points don't return after they are treated?
The source of repetitive stress must be alleviated to provide for a rehabilitative environment if that is the problem, or healing will never take place. Weakness is usually a very big cause of the problem, and lengthening and stretching already overstretched Muscle Groups will make muscles that are already weak even weaker. Likewise, strengthening the wrong muscle groups will only serve to make the problem worse, not better.
What needs to happen before we treat Myofascial Pain?
A skilled Medical Massage Therapist or other Healthcare Professional should conduct a Diagnostic Pain Assessment consisting of tests for Soft Tissue Palpation, Muscular Strength, Muscular Weakness, AROM-Active Range of Motion, PROM-Passive Range of Motion, and RROM-Resisted Range of Motion prior to treatment for Myofascial Pain and Trigger Points. Assessment outcome will determine an effective treatment plan for shortened soft tissue structures that need to be lengthened, and weak muscles and soft tissue that need to be strengthened, as well as providing the Therapist with a Map of the Trigger Points and soft tissue dysfunction that was encountered.
What should be done at home to enhance the effective treatment of our soft tissue problems?
If repetitive stress, muscle weakness, and shortened musculature is the cause of the problem, then Myofascial Pain Syndrome cannot be treated solely and effectively by a healthcare practitioner. Myofascial Pain treatment will benefit from applications of hydrotherapy, stretching and strengthening, and self-trigger point therapy at home to prevent reoccurrence of trigger point restriction, increase blood flow, maintain flexibility, and promote healing.
What then is the best Myofascial Pain Syndrome overall treatment approach?
An organized, multi-faceted treatment approach, put together by a highly skilled Medical Massage Therapist, based upon the results of a Diagnostic Pain Assessment, Cutting Edge Medical Massage Therapy, and At-Home Rehabilitation is the very best way to ensure that the Myofascial Pain and Trigger Points we are experiencing will be effectively eliminated and will never bother us again.
About the Author:
Stephen Akamine has extensive experience in Acute and Chronic Myofascial Pain Treatment and Rehabilitation as one of the top Licensed Medical Massage Therapists in the State of Hawaii. You can find Facet Joint Pain information and information about soft tissue treatment for acute and chronic pain at his Online Resource Center.
0 comments:
Post a Comment