Myofascial pain syndrome

Diagnosis

Your doctor may gently push the uncomfortable area with his or her finger during the physical examination to check for any tight spots. The trigger point can be pressed in particular ways to evoke particular responses. For instance, you might feel a twitch in your muscles.

The causes of muscle soreness might vary greatly. To rule out further causes of muscular discomfort, your doctor could suggest additional exams and treatments.

Treatment

Medication, trigger point injections, or physical therapy are frequently used as myofascial pain syndrome treatments. Exercise is seen as a crucial part of any therapeutic program, but there is no clear evidence to favor one therapy over another. With your doctor, go over your options and preferred course of therapy. To get pain relief, you might need to attempt several different strategies.

Medications

Myofascial pain syndrome is treated with the following medications:

• Pain relievers. Some people may benefit from taking over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen and naproxen sodium. Or, your doctor might suggest stronger painkillers. Some are offered as skin-applied patches that you apply.
• Antidepressants. Antidepressants come in a variety of forms that might ease pain. Amitriptyline seems to lessen pain and enhance sleep for some myofascial pain syndrome sufferers.
• Sedatives. The anxiety and restless nights that might occasionally accompany myofascial pain syndrome are treated with clonazepam. It must be used with caution because it might make one drowsy and develop into a habit.

Therapy

Based on your signs and symptoms, a physical therapist can come up with a plan to assist you manage your pain. To treat myofascial pain syndrome using physical therapy:

• Stretching. To help relieve the pain in your afflicted muscle, a physical therapist could guide you through some simple stretching exercises. The physical therapist may apply a numbing agent to your skin if you experience trigger point pain while stretching.
• Massage. Your injured muscle may be massaged by a physical therapist to help with pain management. To relieve tension, the physical therapist may massage your muscles with long strokes or apply pressure to particular points on your muscles.
• Posture training. Myofascial pain can be relieved, especially in the neck, by correcting your posture. You can prevent overusing any one muscle by performing exercises that strengthen the muscles around your trigger point.
• Ultrasound. This type of therapy employs sound waves to warm the body and increase blood flow, which may help muscles affected by myofascial pain syndrome heal.
• Heat. Using heat to relax muscles and lessen discomfort can be accomplished by using a hot pack or a hot shower.

Needle procedures

Pain can be reduced by injecting a steroid or numbing substance into a trigger point. In some people, simply placing the needle into the trigger point aids in releasing the tension in the muscles. This method, also known as dry needling, includes repeated needle insertions into and near the trigger point. Myofascial pain syndrome sufferers who receive acupuncture treatment seem to benefit from it in some cases.