Everyone has aches and pains sometimes. For most, it resolves after a few days or weeks with some at-home care.
Those living with chronic pain, like myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), may not find an easy remedy. MPS describes a disorder in which pressing certain trigger points causes pain in other unrelated body parts. No one wants to live in pain and after many months of dealing with it, your mental health may start to plummet.
The Painless Center, located in Carlstadt and Tenafly, New Jersey, is here to discuss some of the ways myofascial pain affects your mental health and what you can do to help it.
Sleep is an essential part of your overall health and wellbeing. Not to mention, sleep is incredibly important in giving you the brain power needed to be productive. You’ve probably noticed how a good night’s rest can help pave the way for a good day.
However, when you’re in constant pain, it may be difficult to find a comfortable position to get the shut eye you need. MPS can also affect you while you’re asleep, causing you to wake up if a certain trigger point is hit. If you’ve experienced this all too often, you’ve noticed how it’s negatively affected your mood.
Chronic pain is linked to depression — 85% of patients living with chronic pain are severely depressed. This may seem like an endless loop, causing your physical and mental health to worsen.
Chronic pain may lead you to have higher stress levels and the ongoing feeling of being tense. You may have also changes like:
If you’re dealing with chronic pain and depression, it is important to get help as soon as possible.
It’s hard to feel good about yourself when you aren’t feeling well physically. MPS might make you feel angry toward your body because it isn’t functioning in the way you wished it would. You might feel guilty because the tasks you once easily completed are now painful.
Many people with low self-esteem avoid situations that may cause them pain. Though you may think this will help you at the time, it reinforces the thought that a difficult situation is solved by avoidance — but this simply isn’t true.
Low self-esteem can lead to further problems like drinking, drug use, and heightened anxiety.
MPS causes many people to isolate themselves from social situations. When you aren’t feeling like yourself, you don’t see the benefit in building social relationships. MPS may make you feel like a burden to your friends and family.
Even though you might not feel like it, pushing yourself to go out and partake in activities can boost your mood and wellbeing. Friends and family are there to offer support, so it is important to maintain your relationships and confide in them about how you’re truly feeling.
Living with MPS can lead to many mental health problems if it isn’t treated. You might feel helpless if you’ve tried different types of MPS treatments that haven’t worked.
The only way to live a healthy and happy future is by finding the MPS treatment that works for you. Jason Chiu, MD and his team of pain management experts are here for you and can create a custom treatment plan to help you find the comfort you need.
Stop living in pain, and contact us to get your MPS treatment plan today.
