Re: MPS - Judy

[Guest guest]

Thanks N. That is a comprehensive definition that was easy to understand.

It was kind of you to take the time to describe MPS to us.

One thing I don't understand still is in the beginning of your account of MPS.

Maybe you can explain it to me. According to the middle of your explanation of

MPS you say it includes both trigger and tender points. That was my

understanding. I know it is different from fibromyalgia because of the

inflammation of the connective tissue, because fibro doesn't cause

inflammation. When I was dx in 1991, my rheumy tested for both trigger points

and tender points, knowing what they were and that they were different, one

causing refferred pain and the other causing knots of pain at the site. He dx

me with fibromyalgia. Has the definition changed over the years and I was just

not aware of it? Has MPS been separated from fibro in the last 15 or so years.

or does fibro have both trigger and tender points as my rhuem said? As you can

tell, I am still a little confused. Unfortunately that has become par for the

course.

Thanks, Marti

Mystic wrote:

Judy, MPS is Myofascial pain syndrome. Here is the information on it

from webmd.com

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a fancy way to describe muscle

pain. It refers to pain and inflammation in the body's soft tissues.

Myofascial pain is a chronic condition that affects the fascia

(connective tissue that covers the muscles). Myofascial pain syndrome

may involve either a single muscle or a muscle group. In some cases,

the area where a person experiences the pain may not be where the

myofascial pain generator is located. Experts believe that the actual

site of the injury or the strain prompts the development of a trigger

point that, in turn, causes pain in other areas. This situation is

known as referred pain.

What Causes Myofascial Pain?

Myofascial pain may develop from a muscle injury or from excessive

strain on a particular muscle or muscle group, ligament or tendon.

Other causes include:

Injury to intervertebral disc

General fatigue

Repetitive motions

Medical conditions (including heart attack, stomach irritation)

Lack of activity (such as a broken arm in a sling)

What Are the Symptoms of Myofascial Pain?

Myofascial pain symptoms usually involve muscle pain with

specific " trigger " or " tender " points. The pain can be made worse

with activity or stress. In addition to the local or regional pain

associated with myofascial pain syndrome, people with the disorder

also can suffer from depression, fatigue and behavioral disturbances.

How Is Myofascial Pain Diagnosed?

Trigger points can be identified by pain that results when pressure

is applied to an area of a person's body. In the diagnosis of

myofascial pain syndrome, four types of trigger points can be

distinguished:

An active trigger point is an area of extreme tenderness that usually

lies within the skeletal muscle and which is associated with a local

or regional pain.

A latent trigger point is a dormant (inactive) area that has the

potential to act like a trigger point.

A secondary trigger point is a highly irritable spot in a muscle that

can become active due to a trigger point and muscular overload in

another muscle.

A satellite myofascial point is a highly irritable spot in a muscle

that becomes inactive because the muscle is in the region of another

trigger pain.

How Is Myofascial Pain Treated?

Physical therapy

" Stretch and spray " technique: This treatment involves spraying the

muscle and trigger point with a coolant and then slowly stretching

the muscle.

Massage therapy

Trigger point injection

In some chronic cases of myofascial pain, combinations of physical

therapy, trigger point injections, and massage are needed. In select

cases, medication is used to treat other conditions that often occur

with myofascial pain, such as insomnia and depression.

hope that helped

lisa n.

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