Rubbing the skin on your neck and shoulder doesn’t do anything to relieve the ache. You’ve already tried taking over-the-counter pain relievers, but found no respite. At this time, you are experiencing a lack of sleep and you wake up fatigued. Muscle aches or myalgia may be common, but there is no relief in knowing that you are one of millions of people who deal with muscle pain of undetermined cause.
An Undiagnosed Problem of the Myofascia
Muscle discomfort without distinct physical trauma or injury may already be arising from myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) or MP. In this condition, a pain relief massage therapy session in Salt Lake City can offer only temporary relief. Oftentimes, the lack of complete resolution lies in the improper diagnosis of the condition. While myofascial problems account for a lot of pain clinic visits, they are not readily identified and are often mistaken for other musculoskeletal problems.
Myofascial Restrictions
Fascia is a specialized tissue that is densely woven. It covers and penetrates muscles, internal organs, and blood vessels. There may be separate sections, but the fascia system is one continuous structure spread throughout the human body. It wraps around skeletal muscles like a sweater and supports them.
Normally, fascia is wavy and supple. But when it experiences physical trauma, it can scar, lose its pliability, and become tight. Restrictions of the myofascia are areas of tension, which can lead to the development of pain and limitation of motion. The discomfort you feel may already be due to fascial restrictions from habitual poor posture. The cumulative stress throughout the structure may limit movement in certain joints and create chronic discomfort that you will carry with you as you function through the day.
Characteristics of MP
The symptoms of MP also include tenderness, tightness, and pain that are referred to other parts of the body. If the pain is so severe that the muscle cannot move through its usual range, lack of function could lead to muscle atrophy and weakness. One of the key symptoms of MP is the presence of trigger points on specific muscle groups. The focal spots of taut bands of muscle are hyperirritable. These points are formed from an initial microtrauma on the fibres. Most common sites of trigger points are the neck and shoulders. The very spot you have just touched may be an area of muscle with trigger points.
Treatment Options
Myofascial pain is a chronic musculoskeletal condition where trigger points are typically present along the muscles of the neck and upper back. Current treatment modalities, such as heat, stretching, and massage, offer relief. However, trigger point resolution takes time with these conventional therapy approaches. Trigger points respond favorably to injections intended to inactivate them. These injections offer prompt relief. Nevertheless, they do not address the root of the problem. Poor posture changes fascia, and trigger points will continue to form as myofascia responds to stresses put on it.
Myofascial pain syndrome affects millions of people in the United States. Most of them are undiagnosed. People suffering from pain syndromes such as MP seek out relief from extreme discomfort, but often do not find it. With proper diagnosis and targeted treatment methods, a pain-free future may await sufferers.
