What is referred pain?
Referred pain means pain that you feel in one part of your body, but the source of it is coming from somewhere else. A good example of this in action is arm pain that sometimes occurs when a person is having a heart attack. The problem is with the heart but the arm pain, although seemly unrelated, is a symptom.
What is myofascial pain?
Often referred pain is the result of pressure on sensitive points triggered by muscle knots. This is a chronic pain disorder that occurs when the muscle contracts repeatedly and then fails to relax. The knot in the tissue puts pressure on a nerve causing pain there or that radiates to another location on the body.
Symptoms of myofascial pain include:
- Deep aching pain in the muscle
- Persistent pain that may get worse over time
- A knot or tender area in the muscle
- Pain that radiates to another part of the body
The sensitive area in the muscle that causes this pain is called a trigger point. Injections into that site, trigger point injections, can relieve the tension and ease the pain.
Are there risk factors for this kind of chronic pain?
Trigger point pain requires a stimulus of some kind. For many people, stress and anxiety are enough to trigger an episode in the neck or shoulders. Repetitive use is another potential culprit. Continual stress on a muscle group, the lower back for instance, can trigger spasms that lead to chronic pain. Other risk factors include:
- Poor posture
- Muscle injury
- Poor technique
- Poor overall fitness
Triggers are distinct, so what causes pain in one patient may not bother another. During the evaluation, Dr. Gruen talks with each patient to get a sense of what might be causing the knots. Along with trigger point injections, the care plan may include lifestyle changes and physical therapy.
How do trigger point injections work?
Dr. Gruen or another medical professional at Move Well MD inserts a small needle into the trigger point containing an anesthetic, saline or possibly a corticosteroid. The goal is to make that trigger point inactive, reducing both the direct and referred pain. A number of injections to that same spot will usually provide pain relief that lasts.
At Move Well MD in Manhattan located in the downtown financial district of lower Manhattan, NY, NY 10038, we use an integrated system of care to relieve pain, improve range of motion and help you to move well again! We are just a few short path train stops away from Hoboken, NJ and Jersey City, NJ.
