Trigger Point Therapy - The Missing Link In Unsuccessful Back Pain, Sciatica And Pain Treatment

Trigger points are described as hyperirritable spots in the muscles that are associated with palpable nodules in the muscle fibers. The palpable nodules are said to be small contraction knots and a common cause of pain. The trigger points produce pain locally (right where they are) as well as often referring pain to other areas.

Very often the muscles most affected with trigger points are the postural muscles. The trigger point model states that most unexplained pain radiates from these points of local tenderness, suggesting that treatment should be addressed to the relevant trigger points. But before I carry on to further explaining the Trigger Point Theory let's go back in time first to see where this concept comes from.

HISTORY

An American doctor, Janet G. Travell, was responsible for the most detailed and important work. Her work treating US President John F. Kennedyback pain was so successful that she was asked to be the first female Personal Doctor to the President. She published more than 40 papers between 1942 and 1990 and in 1983 the first volume of The Trigger Point Manual appeared; this was followed by the second volume in 1992. In her later years Travell collaborated extensively with her colleague David Simons. A third edition is soon to be published by Simons and his wife, both of whom have survived Travell.

Today, much treatment of trigger points and their pain complexes are handled by Physiotherapist who are trained and experienced in Trigger Point Therapy, Myofascial Trigger Point Therapists and some other Therapists who are trained in this field. The trigger point concept remains unknown to most doctors and is not generally taught in medical school curricula.

THE TRIGGER POINT THEORY

Trigger points have a number of qualities. They may be classified as active/latent and also as key/satellites and primary/secondary. I will just go on to explain the active and latent concept to avoid making it too technical.

An active trigger point is one that actively refers pain either locally or to another location (most trigger points refer pain elsewhere in the body along nerve pathways). A latent trigger point is one that exists, but does not yet refer pain actively, but may do so when pressure or strain is applied to the myo-skeletal structure containing the trigger point.

Latent trigger points can influence muscle activation patterns, which can result in poorer muscle coordination and balance. Activation of trigger points may be caused by a number of factors, including acute or chronic muscle overload, injury to the area, muscle imbalances and some other less common reasons.

Trigger points can appear in many myofascial structures includingmuscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, joint capsule, periost (bone fascia) and scar tissue. When present in muscles there is often pain and weakness in the associated structures.

Trigger Points are often the cause for the development of muscle imbalances, which in return cause spinal and joint mal-alignment. As structures become uneven or excessively stressed a condition of the spine or joint will develop!

TREATMENT

Prior to treatment commencement, the therapist should be sure that the pain patterns they are treating lend themselves to Trigger Point Therapy. If the patient presents with swelling, discoloration, or neurological symptoms, it is always advisable to refer to another health/medical care provider regarding further examination and/or investigation.

Treatment of trigger points may be by Physiotherapists trained in Trigger Point Treatment, Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist and other Therapists trained in this field. If your back pain, sciatica or any other pain treatment has been unsuccessful then it is very likely that the Trigger Point Treatment has been the missing link of your treatment. You are best to find a Health Professional experienced in the Trigger Point treatment concept.

THE TRIGGER POINT SELF-TREATMENT SYSTEM

The Trigger Point Self-Treatment System was developed by an Americanneurological chiropractor who once suffered from low back pain and shoulder/arm pain himself. This system allows you to treat your trigger points in the comfort of your own home, as often as necessary. This is ideal for people who can't afford to see a Health Professional Privately or just don't have the time to regularly make visits to a Professional.

The program's unique, easy to use design helps you completely relax your muscles while you apply only the amount of deep therapeutic pressure needed, to your comfort level. The Trigger Point Self-Treatment System allows you to be in complete control. With the treatment platform design you can simply use your body weight, and completely relax whilst effortlessly melting your pain away.

With just ten minutes a day, you can find blessed relief you probably have not known for a long time. All the trigger points around the body can be pressure massaged away. Nothing could be easier!

Arjen Bootsma is a Physiotherapist and Medico-legal Expert Witness who has a highly successful Clinic (ChesterPhysio) in the UK, please visit [http://www.chesterphysio.co.uk] for more details. He also looks after the National Welsh Gymnastic Squad and is an authority in the field of Spinal Disorders. If back pain or sciatica is controlling your life then please visit http://www.realbackpainrelief.org or just simply send an email to support@chesterphysio.co.uk for any help you need.

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Get Relief From Back Pain - The Right Side and Down the Right Leg

Before you can get relief from back pain on the right side or left side of the lower back that tends to run down the butt and back of the legs, you need to know what is causing it. The most common cause of the pain is due to the sciatic nerve being damaged or having pressure place on it from numerous sources such as:

o Herniated discs

o A damaged or bruised Piriformis muscle

o Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (a nerve compression disorder)

And there are a few others.

When the sciatic nerve becomes damaged or has pressure placed on it, it becomes inflamed; this inflammation, is the cause of the pain you feel in the lower part of the back that extends down the leg. Many people use a heating pad to try and get relief from the pain of sciatica but, this is the wrong thing to do as heat only inflames more so, when the heat is removed the pain is usually worse. The reason the heat feels good when applied is because the heat tends to deaden the nerve ending receptors so they are not sending the pain signals to the brain.

Inflammation of the sciatic nerve should be treated, the same as you would treat any injury that involves inflammation such as, a sprained wrist or ankle, you apply cold or ice packs for twenty minutes at a time every two or so hours until the swelling and inflammation subside.

One other thing that can be done to relieve sciatica is stretching exercises some time refereed to as backward extensions. These extensions help to realign the discs and vertebrae in the lower back which, when out of alignment, place pressure on or pinch the sciatic nerve causing the nerve to become inflamed. With the right treatment program you can become pain free and stay pain free by performing the exercises outlined and can be done in just eight to ten minutes a day.

To discover treatment plans, which will work, click here and you can get relief from lower back pain in as little as ten minutes and if you continue with the program after the pain is gone you can keep it from returning.

Acupuncture - An Eastern Approach to the Pain and Discomfort of Back Pain and Sciatica

According to the clever Chinese doctors of ancient times, back pain is caused by factors in the environment, lifestyle and from the internal weaknesses of the human body.

The environment was always viewed as a potential cause of pain & disease in the human body. Today we prefer to see ourselves as more separate from nature, living above & beyond its effects. However, if you walk around on a wet, cold & windy day without proper covering you are more prone to experiencing back pain in the future. The Chinese believe that windy, cold & damp weather can act as pathogens which enter the body and cause pain.

Also, it is believed that the food we eat if too 'damp' in energy can cause back pain by introducing too much fluid and fat tissue into the body which can then settle in areas which block the free flow of blood & energy. Stagnating blood & energy are believed to be the local cause of all pain in the body.

They also believed that the emotions can cause back pain, because extreme emotions can hamper the free flow of energy & blood around the body, potentially causing pain.

A congenital weakness of the back or old age can also be a cause of back pain. With this kind of pain tiredness is often a problem. In this case it is important to strengthen the back as well as relieve pain, otherwise the pain may reappear repeatedly.

Back pain is treated by inserting fine needles into points situated along meridians on either side of the back. Those points which are tender are most likely to be needled. The points used on the back mostly correlate with the sympathetic nervous system ganglions.

Point on the feet & legs are also used as a way of freeing up the circuit of energy & blood within the meridian. This meridian travels around the body from the eye to the little toe, travelling down the side of the back on the way.

Therapies such as Chiropractic, Osteopathy and Physiotherapy are popular treatments for back pain. Acupuncture is less well known as a treatment, however it has a unique ability to reach nerves lying deep within the muscles of the body.

There can be no better way of influencing and pacifying pain in the lower back & sciatic pain in the legs, than by the insertion of metal needles which have a direct influence on the electro magnetic nerve pathways in the body

Vivienne Outram BScEcon, MBAcC, MATCM.

http://www.hallamacupuncture.co.uk

Acupuncture and Back Pain

Research carried out in 2002 indicated that almost 80% of the world's population would suffer from some kind of back pain with lower back pain being the most common type. In addition to the high rate of incidence, back pain is also known to have a high rate of recurrence in patients. With patients trying everything from over the counter painkillers to physiotherapy to gain relief from back pain, Acupuncture comes as a welcome change.

Acupuncture is a natural method of treatment that involves no chemicals or surgery. Thin stainless steel needles are inserted into the body at various acupuncture points to stimulate the free flow of Chi or life force through the body. Free flowing Chi results in a healthy and pain free body. Large bodies of research have been able to establish a connection between acupuncture and relief from back pain-especially sciatica.

Sciatica refers to a type of back pain in which the pain radiates from the buttocks down the legs. Sometimes, sciatica pain can also be a consequence of a muscle spasm impinging on the sciatica nerve. Acupuncture can be effectively used to alleviate muscle spasms. The results are almost immediate and can provide relief within minutes.

Back pain is generally caused because muscles that are not frequently exercised and stretched are suddenly put to excessive use. Muscle spasms are common in such cases and result in the individual feeling sore, stiff and a dull ache in the back. Patients suffering from sciatica may even feel a tingling sensation or numbness. This is generally due to the narrowing of the disc space or a disc protrusion in the lumbar region.

Acupuncture is used to improve blood circulation to the entire lumbar region and spinal cord. It relaxes paraspinal muscles and provides relief from muscle spasms. The increased blood flow provides greater nourishment to the discs and increases the elasticity and strengthens the spinal cord. Thus, acupuncture can be extremely effective in reducing back pain symptoms. It is important to remember that different patients respond differently to acupuncture sessions and it can take anywhere between 4-12 sessions to really feel the difference.

Betty Durden is a staff writer for The National Acupuncture Specialists located at http://www.acupuncture-treatment-specialists.com.

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5 Biggest Back Pain Myths Busted!

If you're like 80% of Americans, you suffer from some sort of back pain. It seems like the more "experts" you see, the more theories and convoluted explanations get thrown at you. Worse yet, 99% of the information coming out of the mouths of these so called "experts" is false. Read on to get the lowdown on what really causes and cures chronic back pain.

Myth #1-Doctors Are Well Trained On Back Pain

NOPE!

Even though chronic pain is the #2 reason someone visits their primary care doctor, doctors typically spend less than 2 days in medical school on it! 2 days is not nearly enough time to learn about this extremely common and debilitating condition. That helps explain why they keep scribbling out prescriptions which do nothing more than mask the symptoms.

Myth #2-Western Medicine Is Good At Treating Back Pain

SORRY!

Perhaps due to the lack of training, the typical old treatments (doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists) are not getting the job done.

In fact, a group of public health experts at John's Hopkins University recently stated: "Despite its high prevalence and the multiple burdens associated with it, low back pain remains poorly understood, inadequately diagnosed, and ineffectively treated."

That statement pretty much sums up what most people experience first-hand.

Myth #3-The Pain Is Caused By Bulging Discs

NOT TRUE!

Way back in 1994, researchers at the University of Washington were rearing up for a study to investigate the cause of back pain. They were especially concerned with bulging discs, as they are commonly diagnosed as a cause of back aches and sciatica.

Their first step was to find people withoutpain so they could compare them to people with pain. What they found... astounded them. They found that over half of the people without back pain had a bulging disc! In their results published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the researchers concluded that bulging (aka herniated) discs in people with pain in the lower back may just be a coincidence.

Myth #4-You Have To Learn To Live With The Pain

WRONG!

Fortunately, there are thousands of people from around the world who have gotten relief from even the worst cases of back pain. Yes, most people are let down with the treatments, but it isn't because there is anything wrong with them-it's the treatments that have failed them! As you know, the typical  treatments are mildly effective at best. The people who have successfully overcome chronic pain have done it by thinking outside the box and trying approaches that counter conventional wisdom.

Myth #5-Back Pain Cannot Be Cured By Diet

FALSE!

This is a big one. Despite the mountain of research supporting diet and nutrition as an extremely effective treatment, this literature gets suppressed by the $200 billion dollar "back pain industry".

Everything in your body, from the hand on your mouse to the eyes reading this screen, are made out of the food you ate-either yesterday or some time ago. Your entire back-the vertebrae, joints, ligaments, muscles, tendons, and discs-are all made out of nutrients. Therefore, the quality of the food you eat plays a critical role in how your back functions (or dysfunctions). Putting the right building blocks into your body makes all the difference when it comes to preventing and curing back pain.

The effects of food on pain are not simply long term. Eliminating foods that cause pain and adding foods that relieve pain can make a difference in a matter of days.

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