Questioni am pretty sure i have myofascial pain syndrome or somethere of the like. i have been to over 20 doctors and they really dont know what the problem is but i think it is myofascial pain as this or maybe a damaged ligament is the only thing left. this whole problem started for the last 17 years when i had seemed like at the time minor accident falling on my side about 5 times due to poor condition of the skates while playing ice hockey. the pain has gotten really quite bad increasing over the years. i am now 38 years old. i have the pain and it shifts in places such as QL muscle, tensor fascia muscle, gluteal maximums, minimus, mdeium, SI joint, hip joint and other areas of the hip. also low back stiffness. but at all at the same time. it waxes. it wanes. i have tried self myofascial realise with my bodyweight on top of a plumbing pipe and sometimes i use a small round plastic object placed around looknig for trigger points. when i do hit a trigger point i can become in immense pain while on it. sometimes these techniques do reduce the pain. do you have other techniques i could try?
thanking you in advance.
AnswerGreetings Jii. There are a few extra things that you can do yourself. One of the best would be to go to a massage therapist that is trinaed trigger point therapy and myofacial release; they can do it more effeciently and reach the spots that you cannot. They can also work the trigger points (TPs) more easily. When working them, you should feel some pain, especially where it radiates to, but it should not be excrutiating. The muscle needs to be warmed up, stretched, and prepared for trigger point therapy to be really effective. Occasionally it can be a bit of a puzzle trying to find the orginal TP in the midst of all the pain, and then finding the satelite or secondary TPs that result form the original one; a good therapist is trained in figuring that out. Working the secondary TPs will decrease the pain, but the original TPS will just create new ones, eventually increasing the pain.
Two of the best things that you can do for youself at home is ice and stretching. Ice the sore areas with a sandwhich bag filled with ice and a tiny bit of water (or a bag of frozen veggies, any flavor, works well, too) for 15 minutes and then take it off for 30 minutes. Repeat this cycle two to three times, twice a day. The ice will hurt and burn for the first few minutes; just breathe through it. It will go numb, and this is what helps shrink the trigger points and stop the radiated pain. A regular routine of stretching the whole body will help keep the fascia lengthened and straight.
Drinking plenty of water will help keep you hydrated and prevent some adhesions in the fascia. The guide that I had heard was to take your weight, divide it by two, and that is the number of ounces that you should be drinking of water every day. You will need to drink more water than that if you consume caffein-bearing drinks like coffee, tea, and coke, and alcoholic beverages, as these dehydrate you even more.
I hope this was of some help, Jii. Please feel free to write again if you have any other questions. Also please feel free to rate me on AllExperts; both constructive and positive feedback helps me learn to help others better.
Sincerely,
Christopher Hall
