Things you need to know about Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy

Before we jump in on the story of the therapy, let’s find out some basic facts first

What is Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a musculoskeletal disorder that produces local and referred pain. MPS is characterized by a palpable a taut band which upon palpation produces movement dysfunction, unpleasant sensation and pain.

The MPS can be a primary or a secondary disorder that may be caused by another condition. It can be diagnosed as acute or chronic, it will either be regional or generalized. The functional unit of MPS is called a trigger point (TP). Treatment of chronic MPS requires a multifactorial approach addressing posture, ergonomics, structural deviations, misalignments and metabolic factors.

How can it be treated

Traditionally, MPS have been treated with variety of manual techniques. Myofascial trigger point therapy has been done with simple compression of palpable knots in the muscles or approximation of the muscular tissue with compression. Trigger points (TP) in different locations of a muscle respond better to different type of treatment.

With advancement of shockwave technology MPS treatment has much higher success rate with the use of combination of different types of shockwaves, manual techniques and remedial exercise. Moreover, the long-term effects of shockwaves are superior to than those of classic muscle treatments due to the regenerative process they induce (angiogenesis and mechanotransduction).

Treatment Process

FSW provides the most reliable diagnosis of inducible myofascial pain (trigger point phenomena). They are also used diagnostically because their depth of wave penetration can be altered. FSW can reach up to four inches deep in the muscle tissue. When suspected area of muscle pain is scanned with a focused head it picks up active myofascial trigger points by pain feedback of sound wave hitting the painful trigger point area. Depending on the type of transmitter different depth in the muscle can be reached. Some of the trigger points localized by focused scanning are so deep that they are not reachable with manual techniques or radial shock wave. Our patients have much better rate of success with this combined approach then using either one of them separately. We have perfected this elaborate combination into a very effective treatment method.

How can we help you

At NYDNRehab we have tremendous experience treating muscle pain and myofascial pain syndromes with a variety of manual methods combined with advanced technological methods and acupuncture.

We have consistently seen that each of these modalities compliments our manual therapies in different ways when we treat myofascial pain (pain induced from local trigger points). For the past eight years we have been using two different shock wave machines (EPAT-pulse activated and focused electromagnetic shock wave) we have been able to map which trigger points respond better to shockwave versus acupuncture and yet there are still others conditions that respond better to manual methods. Concurrently the combined approach to treatment of myofascial pain literature from European leaders in manual medicine confirmed our experiences. Orthopedic physicians and physiotherapists in Europe have rapidly adopted this approach today.