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My sister just emailed me that she has something called myofascial pain syndrome. What can they do to treat this problem?

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a painful condition that affects the muscles and connective tissue of the body. The affected individual may have one specific area that hurts, such as the neck or back. Or they may experience tender or sore muscles that are in constant spasm in many places throughout the body.

There is no known cure for this problem but it can be managed quite effectively with conservative care. Patients are often started out on muscle relaxants, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and/or antidepressant medication.

The physician works closely with the patient to find the right drug, combination of drugs, and dosages needed to control the symptoms. The goal is to get pain relief without a lot of unpleasant side effects. In some cases, a stronger analgesic (pain reliever) may be needed such as oxycontin (an opioid).

Many patients with MPS get help from a physical therapist. Heat and electrical modalities seem to provide pain relief. Trigger point (TrP) therapy is a central focus of treatment. TrPs are areas of localized pain in a muscle that cause tenderness when palpated. Often there is a referred pain pattern as well. With MPS there are often multiple TrPs contributing to the overall feeling of general body pain.

With this type of therapy, the TrP is released by stretching the muscle. While the muscle is in a stretched position, a coolant spray is used along the entire length of the muscle. The patient is taught how to keep the muscles balanced. Posture and habits that contribute to TrPs are identified and changed.

Once MPS is diagnosed, it becomes a matter of management. Though it can be a chronic problem, most patients are able to minimize the symptoms and even prevent flare-ups.

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