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Some people develop chronic pain in one area, either from repeated tension or unknown reasons. This is called myofascial pain disease, and many doctors don’t recognize it when they see it. But most people will experience it at some point in their life. Researchers estimate that myofascial pain accounts for up to 85% of musculoskeletal pain complaints.
Recognizing myofascial pain disease is important because there are physical therapy treatments that can help. And when people receive treatment early, it can prevent myofascial pain from becoming a chronic issue.
This article describes chronic myofascial pain disease and lists some treatments that can help.
What is chronic myofascial pain disease?
Myofascial pain syndrome is a pain condition that can become chronic. It involves certain muscles and fascia, the thin layer of tissue that holds muscles in place. Tensing a muscle repeatedly or performing the same movements over and over can form trigger points. Stress and poor posture can contribute as well.
Trigger points can be painful or they can cause pain in other parts of the body, which is called referred pain. People often feel referred pain in their shoulders or back, or it can show up as tension headaches and facial pain. It’s possible to have more than one trigger point. A secondary trigger point could form in a muscle that overlaps with a primary trigger point, or they can show up in different places. If you have multiple trigger points, they can affect each other. They can become dormant and then activate again when they’re aggravated.
Most people with myofascial pain have it in one specific area. If you have it in multiple areas, it’s likely to be on the same side of your body.
Symptoms of chronic myofascial pain disease
The primary symptom of myofascial pain disease is muscle pain in one area that doesn’t go away. It can feel like deep, aching pain, throbbing pain, or “knots” of tension and tenderness. If myofascial pain goes untreated, it can also affect your sleep and lead to malaise, a general feeling of being unwell.
Some factors can make myofascial pain and trigger points more likely. Vitamin deficiencies, metabolic or hormonal issues, emotional stress, long periods of immobilization, and working in or living in a cold environment can all be contributing factors.
The following symptoms may be caused by myofascial pain:
- Aches and pains in a muscle or group of muscles.
- A knot or tender spot in a muscle.
- Pain that lingers or gets worse.
- Pain that reduces range of motion.
- Malaise or feeling unwell.
- Trouble sleeping and feeling tired.
Treatments that help with chronic myofascial pain disease
Several different physical therapy techniques can help relieve myofascial pain and disease. Some will provide relief in just one session. An approach called trigger point therapy involves putting direct pressure on trigger points to release tension and get blood flowing. Your PT may do some manual soft tissue manipulation in areas that are painful and stiff. They can also guide you through some stretches and exercises that will help.
Your physical therapist can determine the best treatment for your myofascial pain. It depends on where your pain is, how intense it is and what makes it feel worse. During your first session, they’ll perform a detailed assessment. They’ll ask you some questions about your pain and do some physical tests to observe how the pain is affecting your strength, flexibility and range of motion.
The following physical therapy treatments can be helpful for patients with myofascial pain disease:
- Therapeutic exercise — Strengthening and toning your muscles can ease pain from tension and keep myofascial pain from coming back. Your PT will choose targeted exercises based on the pain you’re experiencing and adjust them to suit your needs. It’s a good idea to incorporate both strength training and cardiovascular exercise into your routine. This will build your resilience to pain and reduce your likelihood of chronic myofascial pain.
- Therapeutic stretching — Stretching out muscles in the affected area helps loosen up stiff fascia and promote pain-free movement. Depending on where your pain is, your PT may show you some static or moving stretches to release tension and stiffness.
- Trigger point therapy — This is a specific type of manual therapy that targets trigger points in muscles and fascia. Your physical therapist will use their hands to apply gentle pressure directly on trigger points to release stiffness.
- Soft tissue manipulation — This is a broader manual therapy technique that gets muscles, tendons, fascia and other tissue moving. Using massage-like movements, your PT will break up stiffness to increase blood flow so your body can heal.
- Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) — In this technique, the therapist uses ergonomic stainless steel instruments to help break up scar tissue and relieve tension.
- Graston Technique® — The Graston Technique is a lot like IASTM in that it also uses stainless steel instruments. It’s a brand name for a specific set of tools.
- Ultrasound — You may be familiar with ultrasound devices that use sound waves for imaging. Ultrasound in physical therapy is a bit different. We use ultrasound to improve circulation, reduce inflammation and promote healing in specific areas.
- Electrical stimulation — Sending a controlled electrical current to targeted areas can help strengthen muscles, improve circulation and relieve pain. It’s not painful, but it may cause some tingling or the feeling of pins and needles.
- Pain medication — When myofascial pain is intense, over-the-counter topical creams and pain medications can help. Talk with your doctor about which pain medication is best for you. If your myofascial pain disease causes chronic pain, you may need a prescription medication.
- Injections — Sometimes for severe trigger points, your doctor may recommend an injection. These are typically anesthetics or corticosteroids. The treatment only takes a few minutes, and unlike oral medications, it doesn’t have to be metabolized through your digestive system. Injections can provide relief for a month or longer.
Try physical therapy for chronic myofascial pain disease at Lattimore PT
If you’ve been feeling consistent pain from tension, stress or repetitive movements, you should seek treatment. Seeing a physical therapist now could prevent it from becoming a chronic disease. Even if you do have chronic myofascial pain, physical therapy can provide relief so your pain won’t have as much of an effect on your life.
At Lattimore Physical Therapy, our physical therapists are compassionate, and we love what we do. Our whole team follows the “Lattimore way,” which means we listen and take the initiative to provide a high quality of personalized care. We know our patients are working hard to feel better, so we work hard to help them.
PTs at most of our locations have their COMT or Certification in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy. It’s not something that’s required to become a physical therapist, and it can be hard to find a PT with this level of training. It means they have special expertise in assessing pain and using manual techniques to provide the most effective treatment.
Did you know you don’t need a referral to see a physical therapist? New York is a direct access state, so you can make an appointment today. Many major insurance plans cover physical therapy, too.
You don’t have to keep suffering from myofascial pain disease. We can help. Contact our team today to schedule your first session.
