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Q. How do I know if my pain is muscular in origin? A. Generally a person with muscular pain will describe their pain as being deep, dull, and aching. However, the best way to know is to receive an accurate diagnosis by a licensed healthcare provider. Q. Do I need a physician’s referral to see a myofascial trigger point therapist? A. No. A physician’s referral is not required, however one is suggested to rule out other pathology that may be causing your condition. In some cases, a therapist may require a physician referral to be sure that there is not an serious underlying medical condition that needs addressed. Q. How many sessions will it take to resolve my condition? A. Since every individual condition is different, the frequency and duration of treatment may vary. Your therapist will most likely identify certain activities in your life that are exacerbating your pain condition called perpetuating factors. These areas must be addressed or a resolution of your pain may not be achieved. It is a believed, that in the majority of cases, a person will achieve a “noticeable difference” within 4-6 visits. If nothing has changed at that point there is either other pathology involved or your therapist may have to reevaluate your case. Q. Is myofascial trigger point therapy supposed to hurt? A. No and yes! TrPs are very sensitive by nature and they may be more tender than surrounding tissue. Your therapist will usually let you know that you should not hurt more than a “5” or “6” on YOUR pain scale of 1-10. You should let your therapist know if they are applying more pressure than you can handle. A trigger point therapist knows that a person does not need to be hurt in order to be helped. Q. Is trigger point therapy performed with a massage? A. Not usually. Even though some certified trigger point therapists are also certified massage therapists, they usually differentiate between a trigger point therapy session and a massage session. Some massage therapists will work on a trigger point if they find one, but usually do not provide their patient/client with the knowledge of perpetuating factors, which are issues in which the patient needs to modify or eliminate in order to improve their condition. Q. Do I have to disrobe for a trigger point therapy appointment? A. Not usually, however you should wear loose fitting clothing and you may be asked to adjust your clothing or change so that your skin is accessible for treatment. A typical trigger point therapy session will have your body in a variety of different treatment positions and may have you up walking around the office so that the therapist may assess the way you walk and carry yourself. Q. Is there anything I can do to treat my own pain? A. Yes. There are many different ways to self treat your trigger points. The NAMTPT recognizes Pressure Positive Company as a reputable company that provides self treatment tools and information on muscular pain. You may visit their website at www.pressurepositive.com. Also, a great book on self treatment was just released by Hal Blatman, MD, who is a physician who specializes in myofascial pain. The book is called “A Winner’s Guide to Pain Relief”. This book is easy to read and understand, and a must have for those who wish to manage their pain. Please visit www.blatmanpainclinic.com. See also the Self Treatment section of the site for more information. |
