#myofascial pain

[fatal-blow]

Self-Massage and Myofascial Pain: Do You Have Low Back Pain?

"Doesn't everyone?" you say. No, actually. Yeah, I find the concept baffling too. However, you too could not have back pain for the low, low price of skimming this post.

The short story of all this is that I've been learning about trigger points, myofascial pain syndrome, and the science of good posture, and I've become so absolutely furious that this stuff isn't common knowledge--

(I have encountered ONE healthcare professional who knows SOME of what I know. FUCKING ONE. And myofascial pain is something that Every Single Human Person has experienced.)

--that I'm making little self-diagnosing guides for common pain patterns based on my own experience as well as The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, which is now my fucking bible.

Common concerns:

"I'm pretty sure it's just my fibromyalgia." Fibromyalgia and myofascial pain have tons of overlap, so I recommend looking into this regardless!

"I do have pain, but it's carpal tunnel/stomach ulcer/tendonitis/arthritis." Myofascial pain is frequently misdiagnosed, and the treatment for it is easy and unintrusive. Even if the problem isn't myofascial, practicing myofascial release can help relieve muscles associated with these conditions.

"Will I hurt myself?" Probably not*. Self-massage can cause bruising if you're a little enthusiastic, like myself, but you won't cause long term damage. Maintaining focus and avoiding pulses are your only concerns, and they are mild.

*Some health conditions can make self-massage a bit dicey. I recommend a little research beforehand if youre worried.

"What does myofascial pain feel like?" A lot of things, to put it simply. Some signs of myofascial pain that I've come across are: areas that feel like bruises with no actual bruising, skin sensitivity (if you get pain from, say, running your hand over it in the shower), an assortment of symptoms from various things that seem unrelated, pain that doesn't go away with rest, pain with no clear cause, and more.

"Do I need massage though? Shouldn't I rest?" You also should rest, yeah, but here's the thing. Myofascial pain can be Instantly Relieved with self-massage. So why wait?

Furthermore, trigger points, the cause of these pains, don't always go away with rest. They can create positive feedback loops. If untreated, more trigger points can crop up, and the pain gets worse and spreads. Targetted massage can break that loop.

"Dude, I'm concerned by how much of a conspiracy theory this sounds like." Brother me too. Miracle cures aren't a thing, but stumbling across this information sure has felt like one, given I feel better than I have in years. Just...hear me out on this one. It won't harm you to try these techniques.

"What even ARE trigger points? What's myofascial pain syndrome??"

That's a long answer that I'll need to save for another post. You don't need to know what it is or how it works, though. Just how to treat it.

For more in depth info on self-massage, check out this post.

Disclaimer: I'm not a professional at anything except for being in pain, and constantly weaseling out ways to not be in pain. All this information can, more or less, be found in The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Claire and Amber Davies. I'm just organizing it into a more accessible guide for myself and others.

--

I have low back pain, and my feet, knees, and hips also hurt. I might also have widespread pain in general.

This combination of symptoms is often tied to postural issues, and usually it's Morton's Foot (not to be confused with Morton's Neuroma).

One in four people have this quirk in their anatomy. The short of it is that the foot distributes your body weight across two points instead of three--which can leave you feeling off balance.

Mortons Foot can cause widespread pain. If you have other conditions such as hypermobile joints or anxiety, watch out!

Go to www.mortonsfoot.com. They'll explain it better than I can. I can also tell you they're legit; I bought insoles from them and boy do they Work.

Other symptoms: sensitive feet, frequent sprains/rolling of ankle, bad posture, unusual worn spots in footwear.

--

The pain is in a horizontal band across my back.

The nature of trigger points is that referred pain patterns can seem nonsensical. A horizontal band of pain ANYWHERE in the back, not just the low back, can be caused by the abdominal muscles.

Can be caused by slouching, improper lifting, and overworking abs with exercises like sit ups.

Associated with the pain in your back after a hard day of work. This is the source of the "back breaking" in back breaking labour.

Massage Tips:

Do this lying down. Prop your head and shoulders on a couple pillows. Make sure you're warm, cozy, and comfy.

Lower abs should be massaged with fingertips, using your other hand to support them. Use your middle three fingers and begin by searching for tender points. Focus on the central muscle. Raise your head or legs to feel them contract.

If you find a tender point (and I do mean tender. If you're not familiar with pain, you might become concerned. Don't be--your body and mind are made so that you won't hurt yourself doing this) hang out and get to know that muscle. Seek out the spot that hurts the most.

Abdominal muscles go lower than you think. Get your fingers right down in the pelvis. Root around in there like a boar roots around for truffles.

Once you've got your guy, use short strokes from one end of the point to the other. Pain is subjective, but your goal is not to be in agony. Each stroke should cause a sensation right before you would classify it as pain. If you're grimacing, or tensing your muscles, ease off.

You only need 10-12 of these strokes. Search around for other tender points, do the same until you can't find anymore.

Your pain should have eased by now. If some, but not all, has disappeared, or you didn't find any success, try the other techniques in this post.

For more in depth info on self-massage, check out this post.

Your goal: To relax and soften the muscles as much as possible. Heat and other relaxation techniques will help. One session should be enough to bring some relief, but you should repeat this until you stop finding tender spots.

After massage, stand up and gently stretch out your abdominals three times.

--

The pain is on one side, possibly both, and I sit a lot.

The section above can also help chronic sitters, but this section is the meat of the issue for us. My experience with this pain is that it's sharper and more debilitating than typical low back pain. It can make it hard to walk.

Caused by...sitting a lot. Wheelchair users take note, I wouldn't be surprised if this one could help y'all out.

This one is more likely to cause limping. Do you sit with your knees up a lot? This muscle doesn't take kindly to that. You also might have trouble getting up from low seats

Be careful with this one. If it's active, it's gonna hurt like a bitch to poke around.

Massage Tips:

Like the previous massage, lie down with your shoulders and head slightly propped up. Have an extra pillow on hand.

Pick which side you're working on. Prop your knees up, and lay your knees AWAY from your chosen side. Use the pillow to lay them on.

Use the tips of your fingers, using the opposite hand to support them, for massage. You can also put your fingers back to back (make a T) to dig deeper.

Find the hip bone. You can easily start by poking around the inside of it, top to bottom. When you find tender spots, massage with short strokes. Look for the sensation that precedes pain.

You can go deeper by pressing down into the area between the hip bone and belly button. If you feel a pulse, move closer to the hip bone. If you can't get away from the pulse, or if you've found a pulsing mass, go to the hospital. Not joking on that one.

If you're have trouble finding the muscle, bring your knee towards you. It helps if you do this with resistance against the knee. You should feel the psoas muscles flex.

For more in depth info on self-massage, check out this post.

Your goal: Relax, again try not to elicit so much pain that you're tense or grimacing. If these muscles aren't the cause of your pain, you might not even be able to feel it. Sometimes, the psoas muscles are so sensitive that you can barely touch them. Even the lightest massage can help, though, and over time you'll be able to put more pressure.

After massage, gently stretch the leg on that side behind you three times. This is best done while standing. Be careful not to strain it if you are lying down.

--

Feels like, or has been diagnosed as, sciatica.

Sounds like you've got butt problems. Yup, you've got a pain in the ass. Different from Morton's Foot because the pain comes from the hips, and rarely refers all the way down to the feet.

Appropriately, your butt might be tender. Pain tends to extend across the hips, both above and below the belt line

We qualify this as low back pain, but if you put your hand overtop of the painful area it's more like back, upper hip, though that's not always the case.

Usually only one side, but can be both.

Massage tips:

Get yourself a tennis ball. If you're short enough, a doorknob will do in a pinch. If you have access to a Theracane, that's great too.

Brace against your tool of choice using a wall. Start on the outside of your hip, beneath the hip bone. Keep your knee bent and put your weight on the opposite foot. Look for tender areas and massage them out--look for the sensation that precedes pain.

You can also sit to get at your butt muscles easier.

Work all across the outside hip and all across the butt. Hell, get other areas of the lower back while you're here too. This will kill so many birds with one tennis ball.

For more in depth info on self-massage, check out this post.

Your goals: This massage is a bit tougher to control the pressure on, but fortunately the tool you're using is broad enough that it won't elicit the intense sensations that other trigger points can. The back of your hip should feel looser and more relaxed.

After massage, guide the hip through its range of motion. Don't force movement if it feels like the joint is "catching" or if pain intensifies--at worst the area should only be a bit sore afterwards.

--

Pain is a deep ache that feels like it's in the spine itself.

This pain is actually from your spine! Well, generally. A lot of muscle pain gets referred away from the problem point, but these guys are right where you expect them.

Admittedly I have less experience with this back pain, but typically pain is also accompanied by your back feeling stiff as a board. It's the pain typically associated with throwing out your back.

This pain often gets blamed on osteoarthritis, but even if you have signs of damage on xrays, sometimes it's muscular.

Fun fact: these muscles, which run along the spine and interconnect the vertebrae, are only relaxed in two positions: lying on your back, and standing up straight. So if they're tensed up when doing either, something is going on.

Massage Tips

Tennis balls and objects of similar size can help, but sometimes don't penetrate through the muscles well enough. For an extra boost of gravity, you can also lie on a bed, with your tool of choice on top of a paperback book.

Follow the pain, massage it until it feels better. Don't be afraid to dig in if you aren't getting results. The muscle here is thick.

Best practice is getting the tennis ball into the groove of your spine and just going to fucking town.

Theracane can also be used.

For more in depth info on self-massage, check out this post.

Your goal: Your hope is to see a release of tension in the back. Before and after massage, lie down with a heat pack and relax to help soften the muscles.

Don't worry too much about stretching out these muscles until you have more confidence in your body again. It's easy to overstretch and undo all the progress you've made.

--

And that's about it for lower back. I'm happy to add any clarification on these points if necessary, but please don't come into my inbox expecting me to diagnose you.

If you're a friend/mutual, though, feel free to hmu for more specific advice.

Final note: expect to need to work on these more than once, and don't be surprised if you only get relief once you've tried some or all of these. Experimentation is your best friend with myofascial pain, and even if it's not the source of your problems, it's good to gain familiarity with your body and the pain you experience.

[crewdlydrawn]

Crying in the club because I finally feel the rain on my skin

Translation: me, sobbing on the couch at home, because I finally forcefully worked loose the group of muscle knots under my shoulder blade and now my arm feels like it belongs to me and I can register the sensation of the fan blowing on my arm and I kinda hadn’t realize I *wasn’t feeling that* before and it’s all a little overwhelming

[greenieflor]

I have had pain in the same spot in my back for 12 years and I count it among the worst of my pain. My scoliosis pulls a short band of muscle by my shoulder blade and it's constantly tight and aggravated. But I finally went to a spine doc and he told me about trigger point injections and. It worked. I have had almost no pain in my back since the injections AND I can tell that it has activley minimized the pain I do feel. I can sit on my bed without leaning against pillows. I can fold laundry while sitting on the floor. I haven't been able to do that since I was 12. I'm gonna cry it's so fucking amazing

[seven-oomen]

A few of the potential physical effects of PTSD on the body:

Chronic pain (like fibromyalgia, crps, myofascial pain syndrome)

Chronic fatigue

Autoimmune diseases

Diabetes

Arthritis

Neurological disorders like FND (Paralysation is a possibility with FND, so yes, PTSD could potentially mean you would need a wheelchair).

Non epileptic seizures in the form of dissociations.

Gastrointestinal disorders like IBS

Dysautonomic disorders like POTS

That's not to say that PTSD always cause these problems, or these issues can only be caused by PTSD. It is however a potential.

(Still a good doctor should rule out other physical causes first before jumping on the PTSD/ "psychosomatic" bandwagon).

Also note, that just because PTSD might be causing your problems, that doesn't mean that they're not real. They are. But instead of a hardware problem, it's a software problem. Still very real, still not something that you're making up. The cause of it, is a sick brain in that case.

[inkstainedfairy]

“You’re too young to be this stiff”

Cool, so you’re gonna help me right?

MRI is tomorrow, I hope it gives us some kind of answer(s).

[mapsareforbraindeads]

got another diagnosis

[mercuria1]

I’m gonna be in pain for the rest of my life. But that’s show biz baby

[thesnadger]

I may need to muscle my brain around to accepting the possibility that I'm going to be in varying levels of constant pain for more than a year, possibly several years, and I hate that more than anything in the world.

[fin1915]

SPN Family If anyone could help or share, I'd appreciate it very much.

https://gofund.me/25f52f60

[authorgirl0131]

I can barely stand for fifteen minutes before I need to sit.

And I've spent the past two hours standing, sitting only when my legs physically gave out from under me (only to get yelled at by the manager to not sit down.)

Thank the gods for the woman who told him I needed to leave. I don't think he would have listened to me until I visibly collapsed.

Tomorrow is going to be hard.

[fatal-blow]

Self-massage and Myofascial Pain: From Head to Fingers

Aka I'm going to talk about a muscle that is neither in the head or the fingers. It's a neck muscle called the sternocleidomastoid.

(STER-no-KLY-do-MAST-oid, or SCM for people who don't take joy in pronouncing long, confusing words.)

I am not a professional massage therapist, just a professional don't-wanna-be-in-pain guy.

This one is for...everyone. Or just about. The SCM can contribute to a vast, VAST variety of pains. Here's a sampling:

A variety of headaches (in the eye, above the eye, top of the head)

Jaw problems (including Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Dysfunction, stiffness, clicking)

Neck pain

Ear aches

Toothaches

And they also contribute to and are perpetuated by a foreward head posture--something that anyone who uses a phone or computer should be familiar with. Foreward head posture can further contribute to symptoms such as:

Shoulder pain

Upper back pain

Chest pain

And arm and hand pain, including symptoms similar to tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, grip weakness, and much more.

See why this one applies to everyone?

Now, full disclaimer, I'm hesitant to make this the second trigger point I talk about because neck muscles are extremely sensitive. However, I'm still reaping the benefits of having finally bitten the bullet and trying this myself, and it feels important to make this one of the first I talk about.

That said, this is your first of many warnings. Go easy on these muscles. Gentle massage is better than no massage.

Here's a quick few rules:

Don't massage the SCM more than 3 times a day. In fact, if you find they are very sensitive, I recommend once a day and right before bed or a nap.

As always, never massage a pulse.

If you feel dizzy or faint, release all pressure until you regain your bearings.

Do this massage with your eyes open and sitting up. It will help you maintain awareness.

Never use massage tools on your neck.

For those with anxiety: I know this sounds nerve-wracking. As long as you go slow and listen to your body, you won't hurt yourself. If you accidentally squeeze the wrong place, it's not the end of the world! Just release pressure, move your fingers, and try again. It's only deep and extended pressure that will get you into trouble, okay?

With all that said, let's get to the good stuff.

The SCM muscles are the ones that make that sexy little V on the neck, connecting from behind the ear down to the collarbone. For all the trouble they cause, they rarely hurt themselves, which is why they get overlooked.

You've got two on each side. One in front, and one deeper in the neck. I'll teach you how to get at both.

We'll start with the guy up front. Here's a snazzy little pictogram courtesy of The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook.

The shaded areas are (some of) the pain patterns caused by this muscle. The dots are meant to represent trigger points (TrPs), but the reality is that they can occur along the full length.

As a rule of thumb, TrPs further up cause more symptoms in the head. Further down contributes to everything below. This goes for both the shallow muscle and the deeper muscle.

Find somewhere to sit straight and relax your body.

Use your fingers to find your pulse on your chosen side, between the SCM and the windpipe. If your fingers aren't sensitive enough to feel your pulse, you should not do this massage yourself.

Move to the SCM side of your pulse, replace your fingers with your thumb.

Grasp the SCM lightly with your fingers and thumb, firstly just to find where you will be working. The SCM is not large, probably around the width of your finger, so don't reach too far back. If you're having trouble grasping it, look Away from the side you're working on, then tilt your head Towards it.

Now that you're familiar, make a C with your grasp fingers so that it's the tips holding the muscle. The intent is to exert more pressure with less effort. Make sure your fingernails are short for this.

Now slowly, keeping your grip light, you want to...well, the easiest way I can describe it is that your want to milk the SCM. Use short strokes, releasing the pressure at the end of each. You can massage all the way up to the ear, and all the way down to the collarbone.

Again, go easy. If you're like me, this will be painful at first. You might even feel a little brain fucked from doing this, but as long as you aren't feeling faint or dizzy, you're good to go. Don't push yourself--take a break when you've had enough.

Afterwards, lightly stretch this muscle by turning your head to the side three times.

And now for the deeper SCM.

This guy isn't any harder than the shallow one. In fact, I don't even need to give you an entire list of instructions. Follow the steps above, but when you grasp the muscle, you instead want to take a larger fingerful, closer to the width of two fingers.

To help you understand what I'm getting at, put your fingertips on the back side of your neck, a small ways down and behind your ear. Gently dig in and pull forward--everything you can grasp from this point to your windpipe comprises both SCM muscles. All you need to do is grasp this entire chunk of muscle and perform the massage as described above.

With continued massage, you should gradually feel less tension in your jaw, neck, and shoulders. Your head might feel a bit clearer, you might have fewer and less intense headaches. Keep doing this massage until you can't find any tender points in the SCM.

And as a preventative--try to find ways to keep yourself from slouching or holding your head forward. A simple exercise is to pull your head back, like you're giving yourself an extra chin.

If you're interested in more posts like this, check out these links:

Low Back Pain

Massage Tips and Techniques

[chronically-ill-and-feral]

Im so tired. I hurt all of the time. I've always hurt. I thought it was normal. I grew up in pain, thinking everyone did. As an adult now, I realize how wrong I was, how I didn't have the vocabulary to advocate for myself and how other adults ignored my pleading for help, telling me to stop being dramatic.

The fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, anxiety, depression, chronic migraines with aura, all of it. I'm just so tired. I've had an ongoing, constant migraine for the past year and a half at this point. It has been resistant to any meds the docs have pushed at me, including injections. I've lost my job and my husband is having to support us. I'm fighting for disability and it's hard. I'm so tired.

Ive lost my life. I don't feel like a person. I am un-human, not inhuman. I feel lost and small. I know my husband gets so tired of hearing how bad I feel all the time but I have no news, nothing new. I'm housebound and isolated. I miss my friends and being able to go see family. I miss being able to go grocery shopping. I miss being able to drive. I'm so tired.

Somedays, when the migraine causes my light and sound sensitivity to crank up to 11, I have to lie in my husband's closet. It's the only place dark enough and quiet enough that I don't want to eat a bullet. I'm so tired.

Even with meds, does it ever get better? Is there any modicum of relief that doesn't end up with me addicted? I can't do that. I can't become my mother. I always thought she was lying when she said she had fibro. She got diagnosed in the late 90s when docs were handing out pain pill scripts like candy. But maybe she was self medicating? I don't know and it's too late to ask. Her 2015 overdose was no shock with her past issues. I'm so tired.

My husband has to monitor me when I shower, so I don't fall and hurt myself. He has to help me dress. I'm only 30, I shouldn't feel this broken and beat down, should i?

Im just so, so very tired.

[kassandracomplex]

Fascia is much like the yarn of this sweater.

One small spot affects many. In bodywork, people often focus on what hurts instead of searching for the source.

In this example, the shoulder, the hip, and the opposite ribs would likely be what hurt, but that's not where the problem is. ✨️Everything is connected 🕸

[seven-oomen]

My physical therapist found more triggerpoints yesterday and apparently the connective tissues in my shoulders and entire back are also giving me problems. So today I am in more pain, a solid 6-7 instead of the usual 4-5. I am sluggish and tired because I took a double dose (100 mg, max dose is 150 mg) last night and I feel like non stop crying.

Current running differentials for my condition are; fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, or hypermobility spectrum disorder.

On the up side; I baked a bread today and that felt soothing and calming and if I can wake up enough I will try to write something too today.

[inkstainedfairy]

Was told I have scoliosis but that my pain otherwise could be psychogenic from repeated trauma…

MRI ordered and scheduled.

[jadwiga-abremovic]

My uncle, who is actively dying of pancreatic cancer and COPD , will try and offer to share pain medicine with me.

My doctor won't. My doctor prescribes meditation and positive thinking.