Do you have Chronic Myofasical Pain?
When I ask clients who come into my practice with a diagnosis of Chronic Myofascial Pain (CMPS) symptom about their lifestyles, the first significant thing that I usually hear is that they are in jobs with repetitive contractive positions or that they are athletes.
Some of the difficulties they may share are: deep chronic pain that may seem unrelated in different parts of the body, symptoms worsen, eyes tearing up, difficulties sleeping, big knots, and aggravation due to their unrelieved symptoms.
For years I have been working with clients who face similar chronic conditions that don’t seem to get resolved in the traditional sense, so they find me. My approach is to work with the client directly on the myofascial plane first. That is where the pain is, and that it where the body can begin to self-correct.
Often, clients with CMPS, have connective tissue that feels abnormally tight, rigid, immobile and dehydrated. But that doesn’t have to stay that way. Fascia is easy to work with if one is trained properly. By layering in from the more superficial layers into the deeper planes, the all encompassing fascial web can release tension and bring the whole body back into alignment with more ease in rest and motion. However, with CMPS, eventually the massage therapist does need to get in deeper to release those stressed areas. So it’s necessary to find a massage therapist who is willing to use a little elbow if necessary. Also, I have found that although the added pressure is best, Craniosacral Therapy can be very helpful too with its additional techniques as well. By working with the fascia and CSR, especially around the spine, painful energy patterns can dissipate, and the clients often feels more flexibility in motion.
Chronic Headache relief
Not being a physician nor a PT, I can’t give you that type of advice. But I will say, from my experience of many years as a licensed massage therapist, that if you are doing the same contractive movement every day, it might be difficult to get out of pain permanently. This is one those times, that making a commitment to weekly myofascial therapy would be beneficial for most. On the other hand, if you can stretch, do yoga, learn new ways to move that create more balance in your body, that would probably make life a lot easier. Truly an integrative lifestyle approach is going to help you the best.
There is no reason why you should stay in pain.
Sharon Hartnett LMT
740 966-5153
Serving the Columbus, New Albany and Johnstown area.
