Myofascial pain syndrome can occur for any number of reasons, causing chronic pain to the sufferer, resulting in long-term detrimental effects. There are numerous treatment options available for myofascial pain that can help reduce and, in some cases, eliminate the chronic pain caused by this disorder.
Some of these treatment options are available through regular visitation with your physiotherapist, while others can be delivered by yourself to relieve the symptoms of myofascial pain syndrome.
Identifying the cause of your myofascial pain syndrome
The continued stress of certain muscle groups can lead to myofascial pain syndrome. These muscle stresses can come from anywhere in your life, from too much time spent in a sitting position to repetitive strains from workouts or manual labour jobs. It is important to understand what the main causes are for each person so that you can better understand what the best course of treatment will be.
Myofascial pain treatment options
Understanding the fascia and how it works can help to relieve myofascial pain. The fascia is a type of tissue that ordinarily helps to maintain tension in the muscles and distribute it around the body to avoid any pain occurring. In cases like office syndrome, where the tissue has been damaged by repetitive stress, it stops being able to properly distribute muscle tension and needs to be corrected. This can be the cause of common afflictions like shoulder or neck pain, or it can become a more chronic condition.
One of the best forms of myofascial pain syndrome treatment is gentle stretching to get your fascia back to its regular elasticity. This self-treatment needs to be enacted carefully so as not to cause any further harm to your tissue or your muscles so there are a few tips to follow to carry out self-myofascial pain treatment correctly.
Warm your body
Whether it’s by having a shower or engaging in some light exercise prior to your treatment, warm tissue reacts better to manipulation, so this is an important preparation step for any self-treatment.
Don’t push yourself
One of the reasons that myofascial pain syndrome occurs is that people do not listen to the complaints of their bodies in the early stages. It is important to understand what is happening in your body when you are working to rectify fascial issues and to not push yourself too hard, as this can cause reinjury or further injury to a body in an already fragile state.
Hold your stretches
When following a stretching routine, hold the poses you are enacting for 90-120 seconds to allow the tissue to react and readjust around the new muscular position. By holding these positions for a generous amount of time, you are allowing your tissue to reshape itself into the position that it should be, to avoid muscular pain in the future.
Regular stretching is a great form of self-treatment for myofascial pain syndrome and should be practised regularly if you are experiencing chronic pain. Consult your physiotherapist to help set the right routine for your individual condition to manipulate your fascia tissue for happier, pain-free living.
