Hi everyone,

I'm new to this site, but I see lots of folks suffering through MPS.  I've had some MPS symptoms for probably 20+ years, but it really only got intense in the last 5 years.  Since then, I've spent lots of time in trial and error and I think some of the things I've discovered might help some of you.  So here it goes.

1. I use a Q-Flex to relieve immediate symptoms. I locate the muscle knots, apply the tip of the Q-Flex, and pull for two minutes until the knot melts away. This really works. It makes a HUGE difference and gives immediate relief.  It usually lasts for hours.  See http://a.co/aJigKBS 

 2. Saunas help to detoxify the body and for me get a lot of the pain and twitching to go away. This also causes you to sweat out sodium and magnesium, so you definitely need to follow suggestion #3 to prevent this. If you have a health club membership, many have saunas.  Or you can find "portable" saunas on Amazon.  Or, if you live in a hot climate, you can just go outside for 30 minutes until you sweat.  Sweating makes a big difference in how you feel, but exercise sweat doesn't do it. It needs to be sweat that comes from heat since this involves the body's detox system.

 3. I found out a while ago that muscle tightness for me was made worse by deficiencies in sodium and magnesium. I now add more salt to my diet and use Epsom salts. With Epsom, I add the them to water in a spray bottle and spray all over my body. It especially helps to spray the troubled muscles. 

4. Diet. At the start of all of my significant muscle problems, I had a serious candida infection, probably candidiasis. I've definitely kicked most of it, but I suspect I still have a "leaky gut". I have food allergies and these food allergies seem to trigger my muscle pain. I think the key here is to focus on eating natural foods: organic (grass-fed if possible) meats, wild-caught seafood, veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, oils. Get rid of processed foods and reduce complex carbs. For me, dairy is a significant trigger.  Try following a more natural diet and see if your condition improves.  If you do change your diet, you'll probably find lots of toxins leaving your body. Your skin may itch. Coconut oil will kill the nasty microbes on your skin and stop the itching!

 5. Yoga can help with stiffness and to release toxins.

6. Some supplements help to release toxins. For example milk thistle and reishi mushroom help to improve liver function. Molybdenum helps to convert certain toxins into a form that can be more easily removed by the liver. I notice some cold-sweating when taking these specific supplements, telling me my body is eliminating toxins. 

For me, I first noticed a serious problem five years ago when I had muscle tightness across my chest.  My doctor basically thought it was all in my head; she wanted me to go on muscle-relaxants and to see a psychiatrist. I did a lot of research and found that candidiasis symptoms matched much of what was going on with me. I went on an anti-candida diet and got rid of chest tightness and asthma, a condition I had had for 10 years or so. Now I just live with some allergies and muscle knots, which is an improvement, but still annoying. However, I don't really stick to my diet all the time and I know that has a big impact on my condition. 

I'm also very interested in Dr. Sarno's method for dealing with repressed emotions.  I'm sure that contributes to my condition and might for you too.

One other thing. I think using medications regularly is a mistake. These medications all get processed by the liver and introduce toxins to the body. They also have known side-effects (destruction of the stomach lining, inflammation for example) and unknown long-term consequences. I personally think MPS is the result of over-toxicity resulting from a mind and body that are out of balance; using medications provides some temporary relief, but adds to the imbalance in the long term. While I admittedly use many supplements, these are all just concentrated forms of naturally-occurring substances, trying to correct imbalances in my body.

 Good luck. I hope some of this helps you.