If you have muscle or back pain, look further for Trigger Points

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What is Trigger Point ?
http://tinyurl.com/6turww8
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"Pain is an experience produced by a body and mind trying to interpret sensation and determine
whether a threat is present."
Neil Pearson, MSc (RHBS) BscPT, BA, BPHE, "Yoga for People in Pain" International Journal of
Yoga Therapy, Vol 18 (2008)
As a warning signal, pain is helpful. It usually indicates injury and encourages change to promote
healing and prevent further harm. Unfortunately, pain messages can outlive their useful purpose
and take on a life of their own.
Fifty million Americans live with chronic pain and an additional 25 million have acute pain from an
illness or injury according to Kathryn Weiner, PhD, the Director of the American Academy of Pain
Management. More important than statistics is the fact that hurting prevents people from enjoying
life. If not stopped in its early phases, pain can create a cycle that lingers and eventually becomes
chronic. Therefore, it's important to relieve pain as soon as possible.
Pain may be alerting you to one of the following five cycles, which can be resolved.
Pain Cycle Scenario #1 - Inflammation Gone Wild
Inflammation is a natural part of the acute healing process. Blood flow increases to injured areas
of the body in order to bring nutrition and carry away damaged cells. When the inflammatory
process doesn't turn off, internal swelling puts pressure on sensitive tissues and creates more pain
and prolonged injury.
You can control inflammation naturally with RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Notice
the first criterion is rest, which means the body needs a break from all stressful activities. Ice,
compression and elevation take time, but it's worth it to spend 15 minutes icing with the body part
elevated three to four times a day.
Diet is also a factor. Hydrogenated oils, saturated fats, and sugar contribute to inflammation.
Omega-3 oils and dark, leafy, green vegetables counteract those effects.
If natural remedies aren't enough, there are always over-the-counter anti-inflammatories such as
ibuprofen and naproxen. Note that acetaminophen does not reduce inflammation. Some people
resist taking any pills. However, if you are caught in an inflammatory pain cycle, you will be
tempted to take even stronger pain relievers unless you get inflammation under control. (Note that
your physician can prescribe even stronger anti-inflammatories.)

2. If all else fails, cortisone injections can be used to dramatically reduce swelling in a particular area.
However, this option is used after others have failed.
Pain Cycle Scenario #2 - Unconscious Repetitive Injury
Sometimes pain tells us that we have a bad habit which causes internal injury. The habits are so
ingrained that we aren't conscious of ourselves or the negative effects. It may start with tension in
the neck and shoulders and then send pain into the arms and hands. Poor posture in front of a
computer or in a car is often the culprit. Other posture habits create different injuries. Low back
pain is commonly the result of sitting back on the pelvis.
An assessment of your posture and movement patterns can determine if your pain is the result of
an ineffective movement pattern. Structural integration practitioners are trained to spot these
patterns as are physiatrists and physical therapists who treat the body holistically. Once
diagnosed, the challenge is to stop the behaviors that create injury and develop new, better habits
for movement. But you can't even start the process without becoming aware of the harmful
patterns.
Pain Cycle Scenario #3 - Cascade of Trigger Points
Tension is a natural reaction to pain. Muscular tension adds strain to already overloaded or
weakened muscles, which increases pain. Trigger points are small sections muscles that are stuck
in contraction and send pain to the surrounding or a distant area. If trigger points persist, new pain
points will develop in surrounding muscles which can become a web of agony that is hard to
unravel - not to mention the tension that increases every step of the way.
One solution is to decrease tension with relaxation techniques to reduce stress in the muscles.
Progressive relaxation is one of the easiest techniques to try on your own and can be done in as
little as 15 minutes. Lie in a quiet place and tune into your breath. Tighten the muscles in your toes
as you inhale and as you exhale relax them as much as possible. Work up the muscle groups in
your body (calves, thighs, buttocks, etc.) squeezing the muscles on inhale and letting go as much
as possible on exhale. By the time you tighten and release your jaw, your whole body will be much
calmer.
Relieving the entire pattern of trigger points is also necessary, which requires a combination of
warming the muscles, pressing the points, and stretching. Many times you can do this yourself. It's
important, however, to get every point or the pattern can return. Massage therapists who
specialize in trigger point therapy can help. The most extreme cases might need trigger point
injections (usually injected with an analgesic called lidocaine), which can be administered by a
physician or physical therapist.
Pain Cycle Scenario #4 - Pain and Depression
People with chronic pain are at higher risk of developing mood and anxiety disorders and people
who are depressed are more sensitive to pain sensations, as the brain pathways that process pain
and mood are related. Depression or anxiety and pain can become a vicious cycle as stress
increases pain and pain increases stress.

3. The progressive relaxation exercise noted above can be used, as well as other activities you find
to be restful. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, a form of meditation, has been found to be
extremely effective in increasing the ability to relax and the ability for patients to cope with their
symptoms including pain.
Exercise produces endorphins that reduce the perception of pain and increase the feeling of well
being. Walking is one of the most common and helpful, but any enjoyable exercise such as biking
or dancing will help combat a pain and anxiety/depression cycle.
Slow breathing is also effective. Researchers at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Arizona found
that study participants who tried to slow the breath rate to half could diminish pain and improve
their mood. One way to slow your breath is to exhale through pursed lips, like a whisper. Another
technique is to count the inhale and exhale and increase the count of each (especially the exhale)
slowly and incrementally.
Medication is another option if natural remedies aren't successful enough. Certain pain conditions
respond to anti-depressants or a combination of anti-depressants and analgesics. Physicians who
are experienced in treating patients with chronic pain, such as physiatrists or rheumatologists,
have the best knowledge to determine if this will work for you.
Pain Cycle Scenario #5 - Amplified Pain Messages
Some of the latest research is finding that pain receptors can become oversensitive and produce
pain signals out of proportion to the actual condition of the body. In this case, the message is a bit
like Peter crying wolf.
Neal Pearson in the article noted in the opening paragraph puts it so well. "The body and nervous
system may amplify the signals to get attention. Pain could then intensify without further tissue
damage, the experience of pain could spread to new areas, previously non-painful movement
might become painful."
"New Culprits in Chronic Pain" in the November 2009 issue of Scientific American details how the
sensing neurons can become overly excited and create pain without a stimulus. In this case the
body-mind is misinterpreting sensation, but that doesn't change the amount of pain felt. In some
cases the pain gets worse and worse.
Researchers are developing new medicines to affect the sensing neurons and combat pain in a
different way. That doesn't mean that current natural methods won't work. Alternative health care
like acupuncture and yoga therapy can affect the nervous system to restore a more accurate
internal sense of sensation, called proprioception.
Finding the Right Solution
It's also possible that pain cycles are the result of more than one cause, for example inflammation
and depression or unconscious habits and tension. As a result it can take a bit of trial and error to
find a combination of approaches that work for your particular situation.
A journal can help you recognize and track your cycles and document what techniques that are

4. most helpful. With practice, you can decode the incomprehensible messages of your pain and find
some relief.
To learn how to take care of your muscles and regain your vitality, visit http://www.vitalselfinc.com.
Anita Boser is a Certified Hellerwork Practitioner, Professional Structural Integration Practitioner,
yoga teacher, and author of "Undulation Exercises." You can read her weekly blog articles at
http://www.undulationexercise.blogspot.com.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anita_Boser
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What is Trigger Point ?
http://tinyurl.com/6turww8
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