No disagreement. Deconditioning happens faster than we think and to me that's a very dangerous part of the downward spiral.... Weakened muscles do not do well, as we all know all too well. *sigh*

I hae found massage useful only when gentle and by someone who knows WTH they're doing. Otherwise, it's just a triggering event. I found hot stone massage was best for me when I could tolerate massages. Best of many worlds---heat, and she did super-gentle massage, she knew FM. Ahh...

I agree we have to use anything we can as soon as we can to stop the cycle. Our bodies are very stubborn critters. Once they get into a loop? It's hard to break them out. Good or bad. That's why I was willing to try acupuncture, yoga, you name it.

Muscle relaxants are tricky. They do help, but long-term use of some of them actually can help muscles weaken, so....that's one of those individualized things, I think. And I think with other meds and therapies, they're incredibly useful. (Like with massage, in fact!)

My rheumy and neuro and GP and rehab doc all like the idea of multiple approaches, go soft and slow until yuo know your tolerances, and by comparison with some, I know I do great, so.... That's my thoughts!

Good article and post. Thanks!

Are you sure your massage therapist said "tender points?" Tender points are only painful if pressed. Trigger points are what massage therapists typically work with, and they are not part of fibromyalgia, they are associated with Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS).

This is a good article about how many people, even including doctors, get them confused:

http://www.fibroaction.org/Articles/Tender-points-Trigger-points-and-Pressure-points.aspx

Massage works well for me, both for keeping me flexible and for keeping trigger points manageable between injections. It's sometimes painful because of the generalized muscle tenderness of fibromyalgia, but I find the temporary pain is worth the benefits.

On the other hand, I am a mass of trigger points from old injuries, so I'm not sure whether I'm typical.

Just came from my weekly massage - have been going at least once a week for over 15 years. Since I can't take any meds for my fibro, I would definitely be up the creek if it were not for my massage.

Have had the same therapist for the entire time & she knows where I hurt the worst on most visits without me even telling her.

On occasion due to the buildup of toxins in my body, I may feel worse for the first 24 to 36 hours but on those occasions I have to remember to really drink a lot of water to aid with the removal of those toxins.

As you can see, I highly recommend massages.

There is a big difference between tender points and trigger points, one is FMS the other, MPS. To my knowledge, they cannot massage a tender point away but they can break up trigger points, and yes, everyone does get them. If they are in a place you can reach, you can actually do it yourself but I do agree with the benefit of massage therapy.

We have "pain amplification" with FMS which means our brains perceive pain differently. I have had surgeries with no difficulty, even dental surgery and did quite well. It is hard to predict for me when and what is going to cause pain--usually some strange pains that are often unexplained.

I think trying different methods of pain relief is the best way to go, however, just like meds, what works well for one person may have a different reaction in another. It can be very strange! Lucky us.

To LeoX3 You state that muscle relaxants can cause muscles to weaken. Where did you hear that?

Caroline, it's documented in Flexeril after extended use (I did specify long-term use of *some*), and I heard it from two neuros, my rheumy, my rehab doc and my GP when they were adjusting my medication protocol to see if taking me off it helped. (It did, but I think that was just I'd been on it long enough I'd done my usual trick of getting tolerant to a med. Argh.) Flexeril's not the only one, but it's the one I konw of that's still most commonly used. (It's an interesting physiological thing, my rehab doc after my accident described it but I can't put it as well as he did. Something about the medication's mechanism can hinder proper flexion and so on.)

I've been on other muscle relaxants where there was no diff with or without it. It just popped into my head about how some of them can screw things up. It's by no means a universal issue, but with FM, always pays to be hyper-vigilant on what can harm, IMO.

If you're on one and it works, hey, we gotta do what we gotta.

Cheers,
Leo

when i was in cali i had massage once a week. it helped so much i think cause i didnt feel half as bad as i do now. havent had one in 3 months. reflexology was awesome. i looked up massage envy & they offer a special massage for fibro. they have a stretch massage too? yes leo! hot stone & light bamboo is awesome!

So, I see a few people do benefit from massage. It makes sense that it has to be someone who is not too aggressive. Leo, I wonder if it is a good idea to buy a set of stones. I have not had that massage and think that if it is just an issue of putting the stones in place, my hubby can do that.

Peace, thanks for the link. My masseuse and I talked about "those painful spots"... I don't remember what term he used. He says that everyone gets them at the same place. If I remember correctly, at the spots where a nerve (large nerve?) enters the muscle. That the muscle knots and accumulates toxins there as well as limits circulation to the area. He also mentioned that the sciatica is as thick as a garden hose. I knew it was thick, but I didn't know it was so thick. Figures that it is easy to pinch or compress it with inflammation. Hence, all the problems down the legs.

1sugarbear, you think that a bad reaction is due to buildup of toxins. I would have thought that the massage was too strong.

I wonder if anyone has been successful at stopping a flare with an intensive course of aquatherapy, massage, floating....a treatment that would least for hours. Not curious enough to throw myself into a flare to experiment.

Hope everyone is having a lovely Christmas, or lovely day (if you don't celebrate Christmas)