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...

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Brain & Nervous System
/ Myofascial Pain Syndrome Support Group

Making Progress, Feeling Pain

chimerical
chimerical
The myofascial release therapy is really having an effect. Two practitioners have said I am improving. The MR therapist (recommended by Sharogold) even has before and after pictures that show it. In the before picture of me standing, the skin folds on my back where my ribs end are uneven and my right leg is stuck out. The last time I saw here in December she took new pics and the folds were in the same place on both sides.

My doctor in California who I saw right after the first of the year said that the muscles along my spine are much better. The adhesions are gone and the are better "vascularized." That last bit has to do with the blood flow I think. To me they feel puffier--you know, there is more flesh there-- and it is less painful to roll the tennis ball along them.

All that is great, but I am in SO MUCH PAIN. It must be because my whole skeleton is shifting slightly in my upper body. I try to stand straight at all times, tuck my right leg in, dip my right shoulder down, which used to be higher. But I swear my whole back aches when I walk a lot, and I get so tired. My bra feels like a vise squeezing my ribs together, and I only wear soft athletic bras.

I go to work 3 times a week, MWF, and as soon as it is over I rush home and crash and lie around the whole next day. IS THIS ANYWAY TO LIVE? I am toying with the idea of calling in sick tomorrow so I can just stay home and feel sorry for myself.
Community LeaderMid
Mid
No. Do not stop. This is called healing pain, and it will lessen the more you continue to move. Give yourself more time to flow into the fluid motion pattern, and see if that provides the relief you are looking for.
Best wishes!
Pumpkin31
Pumpkin31
Brilliant that you're seeing good improvements, but such a shame it's at the cost of extra pain. I had the same thing years ago when I started the stretches and strengthening exercises on the pain management course. I ended up having to double my pain killers but it was worth it and, now I think about it, I was able to stop taking them completely after a few months (I did have some amazing cranio treatments at the time too whiched helped me ditch the pills).

Because it's my answer to everything I'd say - sure, take some time off sick, help you get back some mental strength. It's a shame you can't negotiate some time off / shorter hours / leave / working from home to give you a break during this transition.

But in reality, do you really want to blot your sick record for some time to feel sorry for yourself? If it doesn't matter, go for it. If it does, maybe think of another way to help you through.

I'm just so chuffed that another person is beginning to get in control of this condition. Maybe it's time you began to plan some kind of reward for coming this far with it? Because you certainly deserve it.
Pumpkin31
Pumpkin31
Vascularized? Yes, that's increased blood flow. It's quite shocking how much this condition affects the body - as I'm starting to work on some of my badly contracted areas I'm getting lots of tingling and itching. In my mind it's because of blood beginning to flow through areas if couldn't before, so the same thing. Weird, isn't it?!
Katty2
Katty2
I am having the same experience with myofascial release. My PT and OT therapists say that they can feel less restrictions. Thus, i am improving, but I feel increased PAIN. My pain is in my upper body too, especially my pecs and intercostals pulling into my chest and back. Makes it painful to type. I am hoping this increased pain will pass as they release more and more restrictions. You are not alone in asking, " Is this anyway to live?" I ask myself the same question? take the day off and pamper yourself and I hope that your treatments eventually give you pain relief.
Auntkat
Auntkat
I second the motion, take a few days off and relax your body.
Healing pain sounds so painful but theres a light at the end of the tunnel and its not a train. Keep your chin up, you are on the mend!!
chimerical
chimerical
I went to work today and took my third pain pill by noon. Even with that, when I left at 2:00 PM my body was screaming with pain. Like you, Katty, it is in the intercostals and pectorals, plus the spinal muscles. The pain is dull and builds and involves my whole upper body, plus my lower back a bit.. Maybe it got worse because I went for my myofascial release session yesterday.

My MF therapist tells me that when she treats sciatica patients, where the sciatica comes from spinal disk problems, at one point the pain in the legs go away and the pain in the back becomes unendurable, but decreases day by day until the problem ceases. She also does this special one week intensive therapy where the patient feels a lot of pain but improves a great deal.

I hope, I hope that my pain is a sign that I am on the cusp of recovery. But it does not seem like it will be as dramatic a transformation that patients get with this disk problem.

Now I am lying in bed and feeling better. When the pain was excruciating when I was on the subway I started doing a bunch of upper body stretches and it helped a little. This weekend I am going to stay in bed almost the whole time!
Katty2
Katty2
With rest I hope you feel less pain by Monday.

I found out by the end of the week that when the pt worked directly on my chest, it caused me increased pain. She was trying to release the tight fascia in my chest, but it was back firing. When I saw her Friday, I asked if she could use another approach to releasing this area, so she tried another method. It worked and I left the appointment in less pain instead of more pain. Fingers crossed that I continue to feel less restrictions and pain. Hope you find the same.
chimerical
chimerical
Katty, glad you found a way to decrease the pain.

I think my back pain comes from the little bend I have in my mid back straightening out. I have seen this little crook on the xrays, so that seems like the only explanation. I am doing a lot of stretching to free up this area: cat and cow stretches, hanging my torso off the end of the bed, forward bends, etc. But this does not stop the pain or it does only for a short period.

I don't know if I should tell the MF therapist to stop loosening up the facsia in my back and sides so the pain will diminish or not. I mean maybe it is best to just get it over with in one burst. Frankly I don't know what to do. I have to get through the next week, that is for sure.
Katty2
Katty2
The pain is back big time today. A t least the day of the treatment i had less pain. I really don't know what to do either. I was thinking that maybe trigger point injections along with myofascial release might be helpful, because I feel a lot of pulling and tugging in my intercostals and pecs. It doesn't seem that myofascial release addresses the trigger points as well as Myotherapy or trigger point injections. I tried both of these modalities before starting myofascial release and didn't get relief, but maybe the two together would be helpful. Hope this week is better for you.
chimerical
chimerical
My guiding idea has been to address the imbalances in the body and then tackle the trigger points. I accept that changing the alignment of my body will cause trigger points, because, hey, everything seems to. I guess what I am beginning to question is that the body realignment is such a good idea, or really worth it if it is going to cause all this pain.

The myofascial release definitely seems to reduce the adhesions--seems to be the only thing that can. I guess it does for you too. It is my understanding the the adhesions do not form again quickly, the way that the trigger points do. So I guess we are both getting better that way.

But it is the pain that is the problem. Somehow less adhesions, but more pain does not seem such a great trade-off. I suppose it depends on how long the pain lasts.
deleted_user
deleted_user
This is exactly how I am feeling. I am trying so hard to heal but the pain from some sessions... The other night I had one of those my whole body is on fire nights that crop up occasionally. I know someone said it's a healing pain, but how do I know that?

I want to believe that but I'm just not sure.
Pumpkin31
Pumpkin31
I'm going to suggest to you all that if the pain from the sessions is too much then maybe your therapists are going too hard too soon.

If on the otherhand you are loving the overall effects of the sessions you need to find adequate pain relief to help you through the after effects. And that doesn't necessarily mean pills. You all know what works, maybe it's as simple as writing out your post-therapy plan and then doing it. It's so easy to forget what we know when the pain hits, but you all have amazing coping skills. Plus, using a pill or two to get through the therapy (as long as the therapy is helping) isn't a bad idea.
chimerical
chimerical
Well, my situation is that I am only able to see this therapist through June 13, so I want to make the most of it. I don't want to tell her to hold back. It is not all pain, although the pain is particularly bad this weekend. The last time I went, Thursday, she did something to my fascia on my left side so that I went out of there with my left hip feeling just great. Everything was moving so smoothly. I felt like a panther slinking around Grand Central Terminal. (Her office is near there.)

But around 22 hours later the pain came, deep bone aching pain. I think that part comes from the spine and ribs realigning.
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