How To Get Rid Of Myofacsial Pain

If you suffer from muscle pain that doesn’t seem to want to go away, you may be interested in learning how to get rid of myofascial pain. While simple muscle pain is experienced by virtually everyone at one point or another, it normally subsides and then disappears after a few days or perhaps weeks, but myofascial pain is chronic, and in fact, it can worsen over time. This pain affects the muscles and the fascia—or sheath of tissue—that surrounds the muscle. The pain centers around trigger points, which are sensitive points in the muscles that can be painful to the touch. When activated, these trigger points can cause pain in the area in which they are located, but they can also spread throughout the muscle. Therefore, this kind of pain is very unpleasant and can even become debilitating, but fortunately there are some treatments available that can minimize or even get rid of myofascial pain.

1. Physical Therapy. One of the best things you can do to improve myofascial pain symptoms is physical therapy, especially since there is no risk of side effects with this kind of therapy as there may be with medications. The physical therapist will use stretching, massage, or a combination of both to release the tension that is most likely contributing to the muscle pain. If the stretching produces pain from the trigger points, she may use a numbing solution on the skin to calm the pain. The therapist may also be able to help you discover and correct any habits you may have that are, unbeknownst to you, contributing to the pain. For example, sitting incorrectly in your chair all day may be leading to chronic back muscle pain, which is an issue that the therapist can help you correct and therefore will help alleviate the pain.
2. Trigger Point Injections. The tension in your muscles that is normally found with myofascial pain may also be relieved by trigger point injections, which a doctor performs by sticking a needle into and around the trigger point in the muscle. An anesthetic may also be injected through the needle into the trigger point, and corticosteroid medication can be injected around the point in order to lessen the pain.
3. Medications. Over-the-counter or prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs—or NSAIDs—may help with the relief of myofascial pain, but they have not proved successful for everyone. You should discuss their use with your doctor in order to decide if this method of treatment is suitable for you, especially if you think you will be taking these medications for longer than a few weeks.
4. Exercise and diet. Working out your muscles can relieve myofascial pain naturally by relieving stress and strengthening the muscles, with the added benefit of improving your overall health and physique. Just make sure to start out gently so that you don’t stress any muscles that already tender. Also, a healthy diet comprised of vegetables, fruits and whole grains will help you maintain a healthy body that will be better able to deal with the pain.