Gaileen Sutton

It is not uncommon for people to experience muscular pain after doing something they are not used to doing. However, myofascial pain (MP) is an intense muscle pain that increases instead of lessoning as the days go by. Each painful muscle will have trigger points where the pain is centered. They are painful to the touch and can, also, cause the pain to spread.

It is not uncommon for MP to be in the lower back, neck, jaw, head, pelvis, legs or arms. There will be a deep aching in the muscle, pain that worsens, stiffness in the muscle or surrounding joints, knots in the muscle and the inability to sleep at night.

Doctors use three different treatments to deal with MP. These are medications, physical therapy and trigger point injections. There has been no scientific proof that one method works better than the other one. In fact, their effectiveness appears to depend on the individual patient.

Doctors can do trigger point injections by inserting a needle into the trigger point in the muscle. Sometimes it is necessary to insert the needle several times in and around the trigger point before the patient experiences relief. In some cases the doctor will inject a numbing medication or a corticosteroid into the painful trigger point.

Physical therapists are often able to find ways to bring relief to patients who suffer from MP. Muscle stretching is one thing they may use. The patient learns exercises to stretch the painful muscle with the intent of relaxing it and, thereby, easing the pain. Most therapists have access to a medication that can be sprayed over the muscle to numb it if the exercises cause additional pain.

Physical therapists may use massage to relieve the muscle pain. With the tips of the fingers or the sides of the hands, they make long strokes along the side of the hurting muscle. They may, also, stop and put firm pressure on the muscle’s trigger points.

An important aspect of any treatment is to help the patient find out what is causing the pain in his muscles, and teach him how to avoid it. For example, lower back pain may be caused by something as simple as bad posture. The patient would need to learn exercises to help him stand, walk and sit correctly.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are often used by doctors in the treatment of MP. Some of these, such as Ibuprofen and naproxen, can be purchased over the counter. Doctor’s can prescribe stronger medication, if necessary.

There are simple home remedies that the patient can do for himself that will help MP. Gentle exercises are a great way to lessen the pain. A physical therapist or doctor can tell him which exercises he should do to find relief.

Pain will increase when the patient is under stress or is tense for some reason. Relaxing techniques and anything that helps take their mind off of the pain will bring a certain degree of relief. Some things that may help are talking on the phone to a friend, writing what they are feeling in a journal and taking the time to relax each muscle.

If you have persisting muscle pain, it may be Myofascial pain. Any time you experience muscle pain that does not disappear, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. Do what you can by gently exercising the hurting muscle, and doing your best to relax. This is not a life threatening problem, and there are effective treatments to cure it.

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