Do you ever have a knot on the top of your shoulders that just doesn’t seem to go away? Have you noticed extreme muscle soreness in your neck after you were in a car accident a few weeks ago? Or has the stress of your job kept your neck and shoulders so tense that you just can’t relax and it feels like every muscle in your body is strained?
If you are suffering from severe muscle pain that is just not going away no matter what you try, you might be suffering from a chronic pain disorder called Myofascial Pain Syndrome.
What is Myofascial Pain Syndrome?
Myofascial Pain Syndrome is a chronic pain disorder in which pressure on sensitive points in your muscles (trigger points) causes pain in the muscle. This syndrome typically occurs after a muscle has been contracted repeatedly or tissue has built up following an injury. While most people will experience muscle pain at some point throughout their life, myofascial pain syndrome is when the pain persists beyond a reasonable amount of time and starts to cause other issues, such as pain in other places (called referred pain), difficulty performing everyday tasks, and/or problems with disturbed sleeping patterns.
Causes and Symptoms
There are two main ways people can develop Myofascial Pain Syndrome. The first, as briefly mentioned before, is an injury to the muscle. This injury can be the result of a car accident, sports injury, occupation-related injury, or other types of traumas to the area. In addition, continual muscle stress, such as bad posture, can eventually lead to tension in the muscles that causes trigger points to develop.
Another way people develop Myofascial Pain Syndrome is through repeated stress and anxiety. When a person is continuously stressed or anxious, they are sometimes more likely to clench their muscles and the repeated strain over time can cause trigger points to develop.
Here are the signs and symptoms to look for if you think you might have developed Myofascial Pain Syndrome:
- Deep, aching pain in the muscle (beyond what is expected)
- Pain that continually persists or worsens
- A tender knot in the muscle
- Difficulty sleeping due to pain
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms you do not want to delay seeking treatment. Complications that can arise include insomnia, which can lead to a variety of other issues, or fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues.
Treatment
Suffering from myofascial pain can be extremely debilitating and stressful. To ensure you do not suffer in pain any longer than necessary, we recommend seeking the care of a chiropractor, such as the team at Kaizo Health. Chiropractors are trained to address each patient’s case individually and develop a treatment plan that relieves your pain in a natural, holistic way.
Every myofascial pain case is different and responds best to a unique treatment plan. Some of those various treatments might include:
Joint Manipulation and Mobilization
Joint manipulations and mobilization are quick but gentle maneuvers that enable movement in joints with limited range of motion.
Active Release Therapy
Active release therapy uses movement of the patient to create tension on scar tissue to promote proper function of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves.
Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization
Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM), often called scraping, is a very effective treatment technique using specially designed tools, or instruments, to break up adhesions and scar tissue to allow for more efficient and unobstructed movement.
Dry Needling
Dry needling uses a fine filament needle (like an acupuncture needle) to de-activate (relax) trigger points within a tight muscle band.
Corrective Rehab Exercises
When you think of typical chiropractic techniques, you might not think of guided rehabilitative exercises or even home exercise plans that you can complete on your own. However, a series of strategically prescribed corrective rehab exercises can strengthen the muscles surrounding your trigger points to help prevent further injury.
At-Home Therapies
Even though seeking chiropractic care will ensure the most effective and successful treatment of your injury, there are a few things you can do at home to relieve some of your myofascial pain.
Stretches
Partner stretches, such as the Dynamic Pin and Stretch is a myofascial release technique where a partner applies pressure and movement to the trigger point to break up tension in the muscles. This manual therapy technique increases blood flow and improves your range of motion.
Myofascial Release Balls
Myofascial release balls are tools used to apply pressure to muscles and trigger points to ease tightness and relieve pain. These are great for almost anywhere in the body and come in a variety of sizes. Check out our Amazon Store to see several that are recommended by our doctors.
Get Treated at Kaizo Health
Our goal at Kaizo Health is to always get you back to feeling 100%. Not only will our doctors provide treatment to help you be pain-free, but we also have a dedicated team that will work with you and your insurance to make sure you get the most from your benefits so that you can experience relief for as little cost to you as possible. If you are ready to experience relief from the pain, make an appointment to see us now.
At Kaizo Health, our world-class team of chiropractors in Rockville, MD; Landover, MD; Fort Washington, MD; and Fairfax, VA, practices an evidence-based approach combining chiropractic care and guided, individualized rehabilitative exercises prescription. We provide the treatment and resources you need to recover your health and strength as best-in-class, state-of-the-art chiropractors. We are here to help! In the meantime, make sure that you check out our blog for more information on the chiropractic field, as well as our free virtual self-assessment chiropractic web app here.
*Please note that Kaizo Health always recommends consulting with a doctor before starting any at-home treatments/remedies for your condition.