Most massage therapists treat taut bands of muscle and trigger points, otherwise known as ‘knots’. There is not much science around what causes trigger points and medical imaging cannot see knots in the muscle. As a result, the misdiagnosis of myofascial pain regularly occurs. Do you have undiagnosed pain. Could it be muscular?
Travell and Simons were the clinical physicians coined the term ‘trigger point’. They were most concerned with the misdiagnosis of pain. Referred pain from trigger points often mimics symptoms of common complaints, but physicians rarely consider it to be muscular. The study of trigger points has not historically been part of medical education.
Travell and Simons suggest everyday pain is caused by trigger points. Ignorance of the basic concept could lead to false diagnosis and the ultimate failure to deal effectively with pain.
With permission from your GP, consider checking with your massage therapist to see if your pain could be muscle pain.
Below are just five examples;
Earaches, Ringing (Tinnitus) or Itchy ears
The muscles in the front of the neck, as well as jaw and face join in around the base of the ear can lead to ear pain, feeling of itchiness or create a ringing in the ear.
Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) has a whole list of symptoms it can cause. Including sinusitis-like symptoms, dizziness after whiplash injury, sore throat, temple or frontal headache, dry cough and nasal drip. Tension in SCM along with face muscles can also lead to ear pain, ringing and itchiness.
Massage through the front of the neck and jaw can help ease these symptoms.
Rapid, Fluttery, Irregular Heartbeat or Heart Attack-like Pain
Chest muscles can cause pain in the chest and arm. While trigger points in the front of the neck can cause referral pain in the chest and arm. Tension in these muscles can lead to pain that emulates heart palpitations or heart attack. Please call emergency first before you think about having a massage.
Irritable Bowel
Trigger points in the lateral abdominals can cause dysfunction of the muscle and inhibit the function of the bowels. While dysfunction of the multifidi of the lumbar spine can cause dysfunction of the pelvic floor muscles that control bowel and bladder movements. Massage to the abdomen can help get the muscles back to normal function and similarly, relieve active trigger points that may be causing pain and dysfunction. One way to help recruit and strengthen the lumbar muscles is by tensing the pelvic floor muscles for a few seconds “as if stopping urination midstream”.
Stress Incontinence or Anal/Genital/Perineal pain
Stress incontinence is a condition where there is involuntary emission of urine when pressure within the abdomen increases suddenly, as in coughing or jumping. Muscles of the inner thigh, deep glutes and pelvic floor muscles can often become strained during childbirth or exercise.
The pelvic floor is important in providing support for pelvic organs, such as the bladder, intestines, the uterus and in maintenance of continence as part of the urinary and anal sphincters. It facilitates birth by resisting the descent of the presenting part, causing the foetus to rotate forwards to navigate through the pelvic girdle. It helps maintain optimal intra-abdominal pressure.
Your massage therapist can treat the adductor magnus and piriformis muscles. They can also teach you self-massage, stretches and exercises to help ease tension in all of these muscles.
Menstrual or Pelvic Floor Pain
The muscles around the pelvic floor, deep gluteals, sacrum and abdominals can cause menstrual or pelvic pain. Therefore, some abdominal massage, self massage to the pelvic floor and stretches and exercises can aid in releasing these muscles to ease menstrual pain.
Please remember to check with your GP or health physician first to rule out any other cause.
