Tag Archive for: Myofascial Pain

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My Journey into IMS/Dry Needling | Part III

I index2recently completed my series of IMS/Dry Needling treatments and am moving forward in my life; now being a true “believer” of this therapy.

What I take away from my journey into IMS/Dry Needling is that this procedure is not for everyone.  I would absolutely encourage any one to come in shortly after an injury or accident.  If your injury or pain is of recent origin, one treatment may be all that is necessary. The average person responds very well within 3 to 5 treatments.

For patients like me, having a life time of unhealthy habits…. this is a process that is more mental than physical.

IMS/Dry needling therapy has been very successful for me with chronic low back pain and sciatica symptoms.  Needles were used to target specific muscles that had contracted and become shortened over years of a sedentary life style. These shortened muscles compress and irritate the nerves, and cause at times debilitating pain.  My IMS/Dry Needling treatments greatly reduce tightness and pain, while increasing my flexibility and range of motion.  The speed at which you regain movement and eliminate the pain is nothing short of a miracle.

An important note is needling on a normal muscle is painless. In contrast a shortened, muscle will ‘grasp’ the needle and produces a  cramping sensation, and in some instances pain; although this sensation lasts only a few seconds.  Intramuscular dry needling can reduce pain and soften these trigger points, while increasing flexibility and range of motion.

Myofascial pain is a chronic musculoskeletal pain disorder that can involve either a single muscle or a muscle group. It refers to pain and inflammation the body’s soft tissues.  The pain associated with this condition can range from burning, stabbing, or an aching sensations.   With myofascial pain , excessive strain on a particular muscle, muscle group, ligament or tendon can prompt the development of a “trigger point” and that, in turn, causes pain.

The Pros for considering IMS/dry needling:  No down time  |  No side affects  | Immediate results

The Cons for considering IMS/dry needling:  This treatment can be painful   |  “Mentally” tiring if ongoing treatment is required

My official opinion on IMS/dry needling is that it works; and this procedure has helped me regain my mobility and eliminate my pain.  It is a powerful therapy and the number of treatments required depends on 5 factors:

  1. your general health
  2. the duration and extent of your condition
  3. how much scar tissue you have
  4. how quickly your body can heal
  5. how much your body can take before you get tired

For more information about IMS/dry needling please contact Diversified Health Clinic.

*My Journey into IMS/Dry Needling | Part I

*My Journey into IMS/Dry Needling | Part II

 

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My Journey Into IMS/Dry Needling | Part II

My Journey Into IMS/Dry Needling | Part IIMy research into IMS/dry needling is complete, and I have chosen my health care practitioner – a    physiotherapist  from Diversified Health.

Entering the room on my first visit I was a bit anxious.  Knowing that the treatment can be uncomfortable is like taking Buckley’s cough syrup… you know it will taste horrible, but it works!

My therapist was great, we talked about my health history, why I chose this treatment, and what my expectations of this therapy was.  The therapist explained in great detail what would happen on this first visit and what I should expect after my treatment.

Laying on the table the practitioner felt the area in question, my low back and hips and located numerous trigger points.  A Trigger Point is a hyper-irritable spot within a taut band of skeletal muscle which is painful on compression. These trigger points, sometimes referred to as myofascial pain, can refer pain to other areas and often restrict the flexibility of the affected muscle.  If left untreated, they can create new trigger points.  As we talked about how intense the pain was, she was assessing where to place the needles.

My physiotherapist sterilized the treatment area and removed a needle from a sealed package.  Each sterilized needle comes in an individual sealed package. Because the filament needles are so thin there is virtually no discomfort when the needle is inserted.

As the needle entered the skin and reached the muscle, this is when the muscle contracted and I felt twitching, spasms, and tingling; a potpourri of senses.  As the practitioner moved the needle, I felt a sensation like hitting your funny bone,  weird, tingly and painful, but the whole experience happened in under 4 seconds.

This was repeated numerous times on different areas on my lower back and hips. The therapist worked on one side of my body, and then mirrored the treatment on the other side of my body. The physiotherapist talked to me throughout the treatment and was aware and attentive to my reactions to each treatment.

Each needle felt sightly different, some treatment areas felt achy, hot, a stinging then tightening feeling.  Some areas were extremely painful while others areas I felt very little.  The tighter or more damaged the muscle, the more discomfort you feel.

When the session was over, I found myself physically and mentally tired… not sure if it was because I was so anxious on my first visit or because the treatment was physical.  After resting for about 5 minutes, I got up and spoke with my physiotherapist, who answered all my questions, and gave me a set of exercises to complete at home.  Because of the release of toxins and lactic acid that get held in muscles I was quite tired, and found drinking lots of water after the treatment very helpful.  Two hours after my treatment I felt tired and achy, but nothing that an Advil couldn’t help.

There is absolutely no “down time” with IMS/dry needling.

What happened the next morning was just short of a “miracle”.  For the last several years I have found it strenuous to get up from a sitting position due to super tight muscles and back issues… nothing major, just always found myself  getting “prepared” to get up…tightening my stomach muscles and placing my hands on the chair to help push off.

I was standing in the middle of my living room when I suddenly realized that I had gotten out of my chair without a thought.  This may seem small, but this victory solidified my belief that IMS/dry needling is an outstanding treatment for chronic or acute pain.

Dry needling will not be for everyone, it is at times painful (3 to 4 seconds of pain), but there is no denying my results.  I have booked several more treatments, and will update you on my continued journey into IMS/dry needling in Part III.

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Myofascial Pain Syndrome | chiropractor victoria bc

Myofascial Pain Syndrome | chiropractor victoria bc   

When we first met her; Laurie came into Diversified Health very upset, fed up and feeling like nobody could help her, and  thinking that we probably couldn’t do anything much for her either. Her doctors had told her to learn to live with the constant pain she’d been experiencing for several years, and were apparently baffled by her condition.

Laurie told us that the pain had taken over her life. She could no longer work, and her marriage was not doing well. Her relationship with her teenage daughter was also very bad. Laurie said she knew adolescent girls were tough to cope with, but she also knew that they needed some attention, and Laurie was unable to interact with her daughter on most days because of the pain. She felt guilty and inadequate because she felt like a failure, both at work and in her family life.

A friend had suggested that the practitioner at Diversified Health would pay actual attention to her symptoms and would help her to attain some level of health and freedom from pain. She was hesitant because she’d never been to a chiropractor, and wasn’t quite sure what the experience would be like.

We took a complete medical history to determine if there were any obvious or subtler areas of trauma. The evidence suggested that Laurie was suffering from myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), a painful problem characterized by “trigger points” of pain, and a limited range of motion in the affected area. It’s also a condition that is exacerbated by stress. Ironically, in her worry and fear over finding a way to pain relief, Laurie was inadvertently worsening the condition.

Laurie could point out where the pain spots of her myofascial pain syndrome were located, and we were also able to readily identify the knobby points of muscle tissue in each place where she said she was hurting so badly. These trigger points don’t show up on imaging, but an experienced chiropractor will be able to find them by touch. Stay tuned for the next article where we discuss the Recommended Action Plan for Laurie in dealing with Myofascial Pain Syndrome | chiropractor victoria bc .

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