Pain Management Articles

Mysofascial pain syndrome (MPS) which is also labelled chronic myofascial pain (CMP) a condition that features chronic ongoing pain. Known also for localized painful lumps or nodules in body’s muscles or connective tissues. Trigger points or pressurization points are what distinguishes this from other types of painful conditions.

Mysofacial pain usually occurs in isolated areas and the spots are varied. The symptoms are usually localized. However, the pain is steady, aching and deep so that the quality of life is compromised. Sleeping problems and general fatigue are some of the not so localized problems. Myofascial pain doesn’t resolve even with the use of ice, heat, and rest.

Trigger Points

There are many factors that go into the formation of trigger points. The mechanical or structural ones are: posture, work habits that cause repetitive strain, trauma and being out of condition. Nutritional status plays a real role in this and is usually not addressed. This makes sense since many people are deficient in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. 

Inflammation and Stress

Inflammation and stress contribute to this type of pain.What causes inflammation is a diet high in sugar and corn syrup. The fact is a diet high in sugar depletes necessary vitamins and minerals. People that suffer with myofascial pain are usually deficient in minerals such as boron, copper, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc. Vitamins A, B6, B2, E, C, D3, folic acid niacin, niacinamide, pantothenic acid are also on the low end. Nutrients such as glucosamine, chondrotin, grape seed extract, quercetin, DHA and EPA (omega-3-fatty acids) and GLA are also in short supply.

All diets high in alcohol, caffeine, sugar and process  foods reduce the level of ones metabolism, it becomes difficult to keep trigger points deactivated.
Diets high in alcohol, caffeine, sugar and processed foods cause irregularity in one’s metabolism, making it difficult eliminate the pain.

Stress depletes nutrients and at the same time cuts circulation that makes for tense muscles and tendons. For faster healing you need increased circulation nutrient dense nutrition with some exercise to help with stress levels.

Hypothyroid problems or glandular imbalances will interfere with the metabolism in the muscles. Low thyroid function, hypoglycemia, anemia, estrogen/progesterone imbalances and high uric acid can cause noticeable symptoms.

What Helps

This is why massage therapy works so well. Using different techniques like muscle keeping and compression lessens muscle tension. This increases circulation and helps the body get rid of toxic material. It also helps with tissue repair and aids in healing. Massage Therapist that incorporate Nuro-Muscular Therapy, Myofascial Release and Lymphatic Drainage can provide relief for chronic myofascial pain.

Also, this may be why acupunture shows some promise in relieving myofascial pain, it improves the flow of vital energy or chi throught the body. Another useful tool is a battery-operated TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) unit.

Since stress causes muscle tension, and muscle tightness the above will help with relaxation. Since sedentary lifestyle and poor sleep are co-factors that affect muscles by causing both stiffness and weakness, it is important to realize how powerful relieving stress and improving nutrition is when dealing with mysofascial pain.

The war on drugs should begin here in your medicine cabinet. This will help you avoid more problems than what you are being treated for. Just because it is refillable doesn’t mean you should.

There is growing skepticism about whether the FDA is making the right decisions and making them appropriately. People can’t depend on what the FDA decides since drug safety doesn’t have tight restrictions.  Not the kind than really mean anything to the average user.

Medications results are not as simple as black and white. Diabetes medications may get the numbers to look right, but they add nothing to longevity. Only a change of lifestyle can help with overall health. If the drug companies had to report past experiences to make new drug sales they would be losing business. However, a consumer with a short memory is what they count on.

The flagging sales of a drug means they just have to reposition it. They also have to find ways to built fiction into fact. The biggest investment for pharmaceuticals may be the job of getting the right advertisement, marketing, and lobbying. The pharmaceutical footprint is found in our waterways, soil, and livers.

In all fairness there is a case for acute care drugs. However, the money is in long term use for chronic condition. The expanded market reach calls for some reflection. The current trend is to depend on chemicals to change everything in our lives.

Staying involved in your own health is the most effective way to prevent the need for medical intervention. The future will see a dramatic increase in our dependence on unnatural substances to give us natural health.  

The truth is until the war on drugs start in our medicine chest, we will never win the war on illegal substances. Most illegal dug use is the kind than comes from a growing dependency on pills to solve our problems. Our kids get high on it and adults need higher doses more often to get any results.

Thinking ourside the pills, powder and liquids that dominate our everyday existence means exploring natural living. Before you can dump the pills you have to first stop what made you ill in the first place. Creating a healthy lifestyle means blasting your system with vitamins, minerals through good nutrition. There are many foods and some herbs that can stimulate, regenerate, protect, and saturate your body with powerful nutrients.

The war on drugs begins when one gets right to work on their own lifestyle.

Back surgery doesn’t always take away the pain.  Anesthesia can compromise immunity, and that is a very big problem. In today’s medical culture we have seen more surgical procedures than ever before. Back pain-surgery prevention will mean making the connection between health and back pain.

Surgery

This means that for back pain surgery may not be the best bet. First place to look is success rate.

Surgery is good for many conditions, but it takes credit for more than it can deliver. Surgery has lofty goals but it isn’t a strategy for health. It can solve an immediate problem, but if can make a whole set of new problems for some people.

Avoiding Back Surgery

Back surgery is a lucrative business. About 500,000 Americans undergo surgery each year for low back problems. This is according to the Agency for Healthcare Research Quality, with a cost of $11 billion each year on operations to relieve the pain. The results aren’t always stellar. It doesn’t always bring the relief it promises.

According to a John Hopkins 2002 paper fewer than 5 percent of people with back pain are good candidates for surgery. For some people this is a costly mistake.

One of the biggest lessons from this is that it isn’t a substitute for a healthy lifestyle. Before you undergo any procedure, make sure you know your choices. Back pain is a good example, how many people know about upper cervical chiropractic care. If you did your homework you would have learned that it is a convenient none invasive highly successful treatment.

Back surgery should be the last resort, since it has been found that 1% of the patients benefited from the procedure.

Source of Back Pain

The hazards of surgery are many. It can weaken a spinal disk, and surgical treatment is no better than non-surgical treatment over the long term, according to a Johns Hopkins report.

There are many sources of back pain. But, it all comes down to the spine’s health. The one place that understands the incredible arrangement of bones, discs, ligaments, tendons, muscles an nerves are the upper cervical chiropractors. There are only about 55 upper cervical chiropractic centers in America. However, the number of centers are growing. There are many satisfied patients that are spreading the word that there is an alternative form of healing.