Chronic Myofascial Pain
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Many people with fibromyalgia also have chronic myofascial pain or CMP (formally known as Myofascial Pain Syndrome, MPS) and don't even know it. It is often missed because it is easy to confuse the pain and it's origins with that of FM. As a result, it is missed in the diagnosis. Both are connected to the musculoskeletal system which makes up almost 50 of our body weight, but should not be confused as being the same. <br><br>It was recently discovered that MPS is not actually a syndrome at all, but a neuromuscular disease. This is important news! The difference? Diseases have known causes and a well-understood process for producing symptoms. Myofascial pain due to trigger points is now considered a true disease, rather than a syndrome. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus and has tender points (not to be confused with trigger points). Even with these differences, it is believed that one can influence the other. <br><br>What are trigger points? Trigger points are subtle, taut bands that constrict the muscle and cause tremendous pain. Trigger points can be in the fascia that surrounds the muscle or in the muscle itself. They are extremely sensitive to pressure at the site and also cause "referred" pain - meaning pain at another location of the body. Myofascial trigger points are confined in one area and are dying for oxygen, which causes a demand for energy. There is a chemical reaction in central nervous system which sensitizes nearby nerves. Trigger points cause headaches, neck, jaw pain (TMJ), low back pain, tennis elbow, and carpal tunnel syndrome. They can cause pain in the shoulder, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle. Trigger points can also cause dizziness, earaches, sinusitis, nausea, heartburn, false heart pain, heart arrhythmia, genital pain, and numbness in the hands and feet. Some experts believe that fibromyalgia may sometimes start as a result of myofascial trigger points. <br><br>Proof of myofascial trigger points has been produced by the use of electromyographic imaging (a device that converts the electrical activity associated with functioning skeletal muscle into a visual record or into sound and has been used to diagnose neuromuscular disorders and in biofeedback training). Researchers have also used ultrasounds of localized twitch responses of trigger points. They can even do biopsies of myofascial trigger points that show the contraction knots and rounded muscle fibers. <br><br>There are many factors that can be attributed to trigger points: poor posture, scoliosis, thyroid deficiency, estrogen deficiency, loss of flexibility, nerve root compression (pinched nerve), emotional stress/anxiety that leads to lack of sleep which can increase muscle tension, fatigue and pain threshold. Other factors that MAY cause or worsen CMP trigger points are: nutritional deficiencies, chronic infections, muscle imbalance, inactivity (static posture).<br><br>With all of the research and progress being made in understanding and treating chronic myofascial pain, who knows what tomorrow will bring! There is a great deal of hope for people like you and me!
About the Author
I am 40-year-old, Stay-at-Home mom with 3 children and a husband in the military. I have had FM for almost 20 years
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