What Triggers Your Trigger Point Pain?

[slayadragon]

Some people who have fibromyalgia trigger point pain have problems all the time. Others report that it comes and goes.

For those who have it wax and wane, are there things that make it worse?

Are there things that make it better?

Thanks very much for any insights you can provide.

Best,

Lisa

 

[ukxmrv]

Physical activity is the big one for me

Pressure on the actual points (like a massage)

Sitting down in a hard or office chair, theatre, car, train, plane etc

My Fibromyalgia was diagnosed using the ACOR criteria and developed after a serious accident which left my body pretty smashed up

 

[voner]

mine are constantly reoccurring and generally in the same places.

What triggers them?

• Physical activity -especially upper body, is the big one for me also

• Sitting down in a hard chair or surface. -this used to be a big problem -- but not such a big problem anymore after physiotherapy.

• especially aggravating is using a computer keyboard, typing, handwriting, as is pushing in a clutch a car, pounding or hammering, etc. -

what helps? ... only thing that has really helped the has been "dry needling" of the trigger points. That releases the trigger point pain in about a day and a half -- but that can be brought back on by any of the activities listed above.

That's the short and sweet version.

love to hear from other people.......

 

[ukxmrv]

Same here Voner. Dry needling is a huge help but the effects wear off and always come back if I do an activity that brings the pain on.

 

[mellster]

Triggers: Physical activity - upper body mainly - twisting, punching, muscle work and jarring exercise, computer work and sitting in a chair to a lesser degree
Trigger points: torso, sides (mainly left), rotator cuffs, arms
What helps: massage, gentle stretching, heat/ice, rest
The irritability of the trigger points right on the surface of the skin is almost shingles-like but without a visible rash

 

[ukxmrv]

I've heard people say that their FM points pain clears up with dietry and other lifestyle changes (i.e. avoiding things) but in my case I've seen no difference.

Some that makes a small difference (not not as much as the earlier triggers I described) would be the weather (stormy, grey times) and when the cold really gets into my muscles. I need keep the trigger point areas away from cold that sinks in.

 

[voner]

Same here Voner. Dry needling is a huge help but the effects wear off and always come back if I do an activity that brings the pain on.

ukxmrv: me too. Dry needling is a huge help -- but if I start doing physical work -- they re-form.... I've tried every supplement on earth about 20,000 times I think -- and none have done anything as far as helping trigger points.

AND! -- a dropping barometer will worsen the symptoms. I call it ramping up the pain system. The experts have other names for it. funny -- for me it's dropping barometer -- I live in Colorado -- and it can be a blue sky day but I will feel like crap and I wonder why? And then eight hours later or the next morning the storm system will be here and I'll think OH! - that's why. I eventually went out and got a barometer -- and if I feel some changes in my body I'll take a look at the barometer -- and so often it's dropping. (or I'm experiencing post exertional malaise - physical work)..

Once the storm actually comes in and the barometer levels off or actually starts to go up -- I generally will start to feel better. Not always.

thanks for starting this discussion. I've been studying trigger points lately and have always wondered about these damn things. I'm off to get needled!

 

[mellster]

Yeah well avoiding exercise would help a lot but that's not an option for me. Dietary changes had no impact so far for me either. Weather def has a small influence. One thing that helped quite a bit is guafenesin - it is controversial and while I do not necessarily buy into the strict protocol to make you FM free it has relaxing properties and reduces the FM pain visibly.

 

[Mya Symons]

Physical activity
Lack of Sleep (these top two also cause involuntary muscle twitching)
Sleeping too long--gotta find that happy medium
Stress
My period (or what would have been a few days before my period and the first few days of my period before the hysterectomy) This still happens, even though I had the hysterectomy so it seems hormone related)
Wearing shoes without enough padding
Sitting in one place for too long
Sitting or laying on something that hits one of the pressure points
Getting too cold or too hot for an extended period of time

I have also tried the elimination diet. It made no difference.

 

[*GG*]

How about trigger point injections? I have been getting those and massages and my back pain has gone down a lot! What is dry needling?

People might want to check out this website for a tool to help with trigger points.

http://www.theracane.com/how_to_order.htm

 

[ukxmrv]

ggingues,

I've not had trigger point injections but would if the pain got to unmanageable levels again and I could afford to see someone who did them.

The dry needling is the insertion of an acupuncture like needle into the area around a painful trigger point. It just goes in for a moment. The doctor wiggles about until an effect is felt and it comes straight out. No drugs or long lying down needed.

The device that you showed would aggravate my points as even massage or touching them (as in manual release) makes the pain worse. The exception would be at night if there are muscle spasms from the points and then touching the area and stretching does help with the spasms only. The points themselves will be more tender the next day and touching them increases that. Fortunately for me these night spasms sites are all reachable.

 

[voner]

How about trigger point injections? I have been getting those and massages and my back pain has gone down a lot! What is dry needling?

People might want to check out this website for a tool to help with trigger points.

http://www.theracane.com/how_to_order.htm

ggingues:

hey could you describe what's involved in your trigger point injections? Who does the injections? Cost involvement? What do they inject? How much relief and for how long does it occur? Etc. I'd love to know.

the last 15 years I think I've gotten three of those fair canes -- and I've never had any help from them -- but maybe I just wasn't using them enough. Did they help you?

thanks

 

[Mya Symons]

The trigger point injections pretty much kicked my ass. For me, they made the pain much worse. I don't know why. If I remember right they are vitamin B and lidocaine or something similar. Supplements with vitamin B work better for me. My husband had the same experience I did.

 

[*GG*]

ggingues:

hey could you describe what's involved in your trigger point injections? Who does the injections? Cost involvement? What do they inject? How much relief and for how long does it occur? Etc. I'd love to know.

the last 15 years I think I've gotten three of those fair canes -- and I've never had any help from them -- but maybe I just wasn't using them enough. Did they help you?

thanks

Not much involved. I see a physiatrist (physical medicine rehab people) and they do only so many injections per visit. I have had them done at a few places, 1st place was at a hospital and they did a very poor job, I have/had back pain and they would not even feel around for the points!

I then went to a Pain clinic and they felt around for them, and my pain was reduced, but I ran out of funds and stopped for the year (2010). I reloaded my funds at the beginning of this year and found a place closer, only 15 mins instead of an hour drive, and I have had injections on average of 1 visit per month, they want to see you about every 2 weeks at first. I have a nurse practitioner do the injections usually, but sometimes the Dr. (I have an appt next Tuesday).

I have insurance so my costs are only $30/visit. I don't recall what they inject but one of the drugs is some *caine drug I believe. I can feel the trigger point release when they do the injection, and they are not interested in injecitons if the muscle does not spasm with injection, the non-spasming indicates that the trigger point is not active and they do not do injections on such sites. I haven't had an injection for over 1 month now and I think the injections last about a month or so, not sure if it is the same with everyone, but I would imagine there is some variability. I also have been getting massages and myofascial releases!

GG

PS Sorry the cane does not work for you, but a lady that runs a support group that I go to loves her's! I was thinking of ordering at least 1.

 

[ukxmrv]

GG,

There is a Rheumotologist in London who gives the trigger point injections with Lidocaine. They are private though so out of my reach. I'm trying to find something similar through the NHS.

Luckily for me I can get the trigger point needling as a NHS appointment 3 times a year.