Do you feel like you are tensed up.Maybe try some deep breathing tecniques marilyn

The knots are myofascial trigger points and need to be broken up for the pain to subside.

I can remember being told how tight my muscles were and whatnot but no one ever bothered to tell me why or what to do about it.

By chance after being misdiagnosed with asthma, I found out I have chronic myofascial pain syndrome that is the source a good part of my pain. I also came across trigger point massage, ordered a book on it and proceeded to figure out all the areas that had trigger points in them. Once I got them broken up, the pain subsided. It comes back and it an ongoing thing, but I'm able to keep it under control with a bit of time and effort.

Here's a few articles on the subject in case you're interested:

triggerpointbook.com I use this book and it's made my life bearable.

http://round-earth.com/ShoulderPainIntro.html

Try Tai Chi. Get a dvd for beginners (I can even tell you the one I have, if you are interested. I can see a big improvement even after 15 minutes of the session. Yoga used to work for me BEFORE my FM career started...but I am going to start a yoga class in january, Maybe the combo of Tai Chi, yoga and my exercise ball will help. Another suggestion would be meditation. Visit wendi.com

Also, forgot to mention that while at my local fibro support group the guy sitting by me pulls out a patch to put on his neck(some real good pain killer patch from dr) and all I could think abt was asking him for one!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You might try asking your rheumy doctor for a muscule relaxer. My muscles: neck and back are tense all of the time and I take one and it helps me to sleep etc.

the patch the guy had was probably Lidoderm - a wonderful little thing to have handy! It will calm my sciatica right down! They aren't narcotic and last for about 12 hours - you have to get them Rx though - my doc give me samples when I go in.

WHAT ABOUT ONE OF THOSE PULSATING MASSAGERS FOR YOUR CHAID. THEY MOVE UP AND DOWN WITH THE PULSATING BALLS THAT KNEED YOUR BODY, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO FIND IT AT WAL MART OR A CAR PARTS STORE. I HOPW YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT....LOVE

Star, those sound like what I need! I have such bad trigger point pain. They should be given out to everyone at the meetings! LOL

A heavy duty massager and someone to hold it for you helps a lot. I see a chiropractor in the board of trade building downtown when things get to bad. I've had massage therapy, where the lady finds a knot and presses on it putting a lot of weight behind it. I take deep relaxing breaths and try to relax my muscles while she is doing that. Eventually the muscle knot relaxes... I have a tool the doc gave me it looks like a shepherds croock with little knobs sticking out from it. It is for pressing on the knots yourself when no one else can help you. I don't remember the name, but if you'd like to know I can find out for you. Heat can help, but the secret is to stretch the tight areas and massage them while you are heating the area (hot bath or heating pad). IF you don't move the muscles, when they cool off they are locked just as tight as before. I hope you find some relief...hugs jilly