Myofascial Pain Syndrome Support Group
Myofascial Pain Syndrome (or MPS) is a term used to describe one of the conditions characterized by chronic pain. It is associated with and caused by "trigger points" (TrPs), sensitive and painful areas between the muscle and fascia. The symptoms can range from referred pain through myofascial trigger points to specific pains in other areas of the body. It may be related...
I Don't know if this is the right place to post this but I'm going to anyway. I'm a 22 yo male from the uk and for the past 5 years I've suffered from anxiety / muscle knots / MPS, whatever you want to call it. It all started with anxiety at college, I became paranoid that people were staring at me and that there was something wrong with me. It got so bad that I would just sit in class staring into space as to avoid eye contact. When my anxiety was at it's worst I would notice aching in the upper right side of my back and since then things have just gotten worse. I dropped out of College because of my anxiety and the muscle knots have gotten worse and worse. I have them in pretty much every single muscle, including my hands and feet. I'm aching all the time, twitching constantly, have nerve pain, and joint pain. I bought the clair davies trigger point therapy workbook and use a tennis ball daily to massage the trigger points but that only provides temporary relief. The book tends to focus on localized problems but I've got knots fu**ing everywhere, from head to toe. My life just feels like it's over, my mum has been supporting me for the past 4 years and I don't know how much longer she'll put up with me. I've seen 3 different GP's (2 of them laughed), a rheumatologist, Neurologist, had blood tests done, had a nerve conduction test. They all told me it was in my head. I don't have any friends left, never had a girlfriend, and it wont be long before my family get sick of me. I still have serious anxiety issues which make everyday interactions difficult, I can't even look my own mum in the eyes without feeling anxious and tense. I volunteer once a week at a daycare centre in an attempt to address my anxiety but it doesn't seem to help. I don't know if my mental health has caused the MPS or if It was always going to happen. But I do know that it started after my anxiety problems began. I've thought about killing myself everyday for the past year, I've wrote several notes to my mum and my sister (the only people I care about) but I just ended up throwing them away and then writing them again and again. It feels like it's the end, every month my muscles get tighter and tighter no matter what I do. I don't know why I've posted this tbh, I don't speak to anyone about this stuff because it just frustrates them (almost got into a fight with my dad over it). I've rambled on for long enough now, so I'll just leave it at that.
What is most important right now is your mental pain. It's screaming at you and it sounds like you aren't getting the support from your GP about it that you need. Have you been referred for help with these feelings? They're real and important and you need help now with them, and I'm going to suggest a couple of really good websites for young men who feel this way: https://www.thecalmzone.net/ and http://www.papyrus-uk.org/ plus, of course http://www.samaritans.org/ . Sadly there are lots of young men who have similar anxiety, depression, mental pain and suicidal thoughts and 'the calm zone' and 'papyrus-uk' are written for young men.
One of the things that happens when you have an anxiety attack (I have anxiety, depression as well as the myofascial pain syndrome) is your muscles tighten so tight they can be as hard as concrete. Over time hundreds of tiny muscle knots set up in this pressure and can take hold like wildfire, wreaking havoc...pain, the weirdest sensations, and pain that doesn't make sense (it's the referred pain scenario...the cause of the pain is away from the actual pain and sensations like tingling, shooting pains, the skin can also hurt, or hurt when it gets cold, the skin can look funny, etc).
My favourite books on mps are
1) An electronic book 'PainScience.comSensible advice for aches, pains & injuries' at www.painscience.com and
2) A book called 'Healing Through Trigger Point Therapy: A Guide to Fibromyalgia, Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction' http://www.amazon.co.uk/Healing-Through-Trigger-Point-Therapy/dp/1905367392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443741424&sr=81&keywords=healing+through+trigger+point+therapy
Both have paid for themselves ten, a hundred times over, for me. Pain Science is an 'ebook' that is constantly updated so you always have the most up to date version (better than having to keep buying new editions). It explained trigger points, mps, all the weirdness that they involve and all the things over and above just the tennis ball trick you can do.
My best advice is to use comfrey oil mixed with weleda massage oil (in a 50/50 concentration) and rub it over your worst pains and gradually it will help relax the muscles and allow you to get in there and do decent trigger point massage yourself. The ebook gives you different techniques to try, something essential as different areas need different techniques.
The second book (which you can get as an ebook or a paper book) is, for me, the best book on 'where' the trigger points are in each muscle. She doesn't draw 'dots' to represent the trigger points because she says each muscle is likely to have many tp's and the whole muscle needs working on. The diagrams are of a really high quality, too, showing the muscle and the referral patterns.
Personally, I find the Davies book you have too simplistic...it kind of depresses me because I do what it says and don't get the 'pain free' result and feel kind of miserable as a result. I find the other books more realistic and the Starlanyl and Sharkey book has much better diagrams of the muscles and referred pain patterns.
I'm in the UK and know the medical system and your trigger points are best looked after by a 'pain management' specialist and you will need your GP to refer you to the one in your local hospital. They should help you get a formal diagnosis, suggest help to relieve the pain and possibly refer you onto a pain management programme (say yes if you get the chance - I did one in 2006 (there is such a continuum of severity with mps and mine got thousands %'s worse a few years ago and I'm still using the skills I learnt on the course! It's the reason I sleep well, so unusual with fibromyalgia, which I have too).
Warmth brings the best immediate relief to trigger points; hot water bottles, stick on hot packs, blankets, microwave hot blankets-all bring blessed relief! Pills do help, but only to get you through the treatments, not to rely on day to day.
Good luck, and let us know how thing go.
I understand that the last thing you want to do is to muster the energy to advocate for yourself but you must. I also sense that you do want to help yourself because you volunteer as a way of anxiety treatment and you devote yourself to releasing trigger points. You've also researched, found us, and wrote a painful post. I believe you can pick up the ball and find the proper help. My suggestion, again, is the same as Pumpkin's. Look into a pain management clinic preferably one located in a hospital. Often they will have an array of services from medications, occupational therapy, physical therapy, body work, alternative treatments, meditation, and mental health support for people living with chronic pain. Please be assertive and stress that you are in crisis when dealing with the medical community. If a doctor doesn't listen to you and treat you with respect, move on. You are the customer and you get to choose who to hire and fire.
Another avenue to pursue is the American Pain Foundation (www.painfoundation.org). They have resources on their website and they have "live" support groups. So much support and knowledge can be learned from others in similar situations, in your area, although I understand attending meetings might be uncomfortable for you at this time. Sometimes a chapter leader will talk on the phone. There is help out there. You are not alone.
Feel free to talk and/or vent here. Our board has been extremely quiet but the members who are here are kind and knowledgable. Please stay in touch, Zak. Best of luck.
I didnt read the responses and barely the entire post of yours zak, but I didn't need to. I know where you are. Nothing is helping and you are getting worse. Pain all over, knots all over barely keeping your head above water.
I've been there. My eyelids would even hurt and try telling that to a doctor!
I have had myofascial pain for 13 years and the first 9 I thought I wasn't gonna make it. Somehow accupuncture did something that allowed the pain meds to at least take the edge off so I felt I had a little control.
Baclofen, a spinal muscle relaxer helped my fine motor abilities because I couldn't turn pages in a book or type without setting off horrible pain.
I think you are onto something with what might have caused it. You sound like you have been holding yourself very tight and tense.
I also did this as a fight of flight response. I could neither fight nor take flight so I steeled myself against the stressers by tighing up expecially my right hip.
It is so locked down you can see the difference just by looking and I have less mobility on that side.
I have just gotten a foam roller and rolled that side good and also found a massage therapist that could find my tight places and attacked them with a vengence.
We aren't getting blood flow or wastes removed from our muscles and with the trigger points we are in deep pain.
I used to not be able to do ANYTHING without hurting myself more but now I am little bit better.
I am trying to strengthen my core which can be very painful and taxing to our overtaxed muscles but when I am able to it helps.
I am so sorry for your misery and hope you can use some of what you get here on the site to help you. Hang in there.
The foam roller might help you. Don't forget to drinks lots of water.
Didn't want to sound cocky! :-)
When mps is present for a long time there are usually other, more important factors making it worse and making recovery harder to achieve. Harder but not impossible.
Over the years we've been hovering on the board we've seen lots of people come and go and I would say 80% get good relief from learning about what this 'muscle knot' / trigger point / myofascial pain syndrome thing is, learning what's causing it for each person (and it can be very very different for each person too, it's a weird condition) and then finally finding a treatment plan that works for them (again, it's different for everyone).
When it is present for a long time or doesn't seem to get better after getting good treatment it can take a bit more exploration of lifestyle factors and weird medical conditions to find the cause and then treat it. And this works for most of the 'stubborn' remaining 20% of cases. It really is only a few % who have it long term or without having some improvements. Maybe even less than that, tbh.
The amazing thing about trigger points is how bad just 1 can make lots of your body feel and on the flip side how good and how quickly you can reverse the tight spasmy painful trigger points when you get the right trigger points / hit the right muscle knot and overall treatment.
For example...I've had a bad headache and horrid cold nerve pain going into my teeth and ear, over my face and down my arms (so scary the first time it happened) that have gone in almost an instance when I've found the trigger point (this time inside of my arm just above my elbow-too much reaching forward typing on a table) and really worked at squishing it as flat as I could get it over and over (using comfrey oil) when it kept popping back up.
The next day the headache had gone, rather than blossoming into the 'headache from hell' scenario I can get where I want to put my head in fire to relieve the pain.
There's no reason your tight painful muscles will get worse. Please try and tell yourself 'that's not true' when you get those terrifying thoughts of how you might be later on 'when' it gets worse. We can help you, and we can also help you help your mind help you.
Whenever I have a 'flare up' my mind is flooded with thoughts like 'I'm never going to get better' and 'see, told you you're always going to suffer' etc etc most times I'm able to recognise that they're not really my thoughts, but 'negative thoughts' that come out of my huge anxiety at being in more pain again (and I get a lot of anxiety when this happens). I've trained my mind to see these thoughts as weird snakes in my mind and I will literally say out loud 'it's just a flare up', 'it will get better when I've rested', 'yes I will get better again' and even resort to telling these thoughts (out loud) to 'stop it', or 'go away' or 'boggeth off' or 'lots of rude words-off'! And it helps get me through that bad patch to something slightly easier.
Or I will go and physically do something complicated (even playing cards online or in person), keep me busy so I can't listen to the negative thoughts going on in my mind. Music works too, but only when I've not got a pounding headache of course.
You can speak to us about this sort of stuff because we understand it and how hard it is. It's a safe, anonymous place to pour out all your emotions, experiences, worries and questions and we will listen gently whilst you vent, give our experiences and generally make simple suggestions to help you understand what you're experiencing.
Oh, and one last point...I'm in the UK too and understand about the GP practice problems!! It took me seeing 5 or 6 GPs to find 'mine' who is understanding and doesn't mind if I book a double appointment to see her every week if necessary. Don't be afraid to try all the GPs and if non 'click' with you to switch practices and start again. Look up what their specialities are are almost 'interview' each one to see if you 'click' and you can begin to build that helping relationship.
A little background my symptoms started in my early 20's as you. I had a minor snowmobile accident. Immediately after I felt a tightness in my left leg into my lower back. I saw a doctor who said he had no clue, now we're talking mid 70's. I was content to live with the pain. As I got older more symptoms arose, meaning other ares. To the point when I see charts of affected areas I have every single one. What pushed me over the edge app. 5 years ago was building a stone patio and the repetitive lifting heavy stones and setting them took a tole. I was at a point that I was in fear of having to quit my job. Sleep was at 2 hour intervals since my pain was so bad it would wake me. I would get up and walk around, pain would reduce and I was able to sleep more. Then getting out of bed for work? I was at the point that I couldn't even stand up straight for maybe a half hour. My persistence has paid off, my pain is at about 20% now. I would some day feel creepy crawlies in my muscles. Something told me at first, even though I'm not seeing any major improvements. Something is going on in my body from the baths. So I continued week in and week out. My original pain in my left leg is almost nil. It was the worst area in my body. Don't ask me why but another thing I've found out, beer has some sort of positive effect. I'm talking two occasional beers, I'm not a big drinker. Another thing is flying, when I fly I get very sore. I think it has to do with the lower pressure, similar to being at 8,000 feet elevation. Stay strong if your still here budd!
Ralphy1