Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a chronic pain condition that affects your musculoskeletal system. While most people experience some muscle pain from time to time, MPS goes far beyond occasional muscle pain.
When you have MPS, you experience pain in different parts of your body whenever pressure is applied to sensitive spots in your muscle tissue known as trigger points. Common symptoms include deep, aching muscle pain that persists or worsens, tender knots in your muscles, and difficulty sleeping.
Like many other chronic pain conditions, MPS has shown to take a serious toll on the mental health of those who are dealing with it. In fact, 85% of people dealing with chronic pain report having symptoms of depression.
So how are the two connected and what can be done to treat them? Jason Chiu, MD, and the rest of our team at The Painless Center in Carlstadt and Tenafly, New Jersey, discuss that here and offer some suggestions on how to treat myofascial pain in order to decrease your depression and regain your quality of life.
When you’re dealing with any kind of chronic pain, it can lead to some of the following symptoms:
Chronic pain conditions like MPS can also start to impact your independence which can lead to decreased self-esteem and confidence. All of these symptoms can wear on your mental health and lead to depression. You may often find yourself in a cycle of mental health worsening your pain and vice versa.
In addition, chronic pain and depression share many of the same brain transmitters and nerve messengers in the brain and spinal cord.
Some treatment plans for MPS include massage, physical therapy, and medications. However, if none of these options seem to be working for you, Dr. Chiu may recommend trigger point injections in order to relieve your pain.
Dr. Chiu uses trigger point injections to deliver anesthetics and steroids into your muscle trigger points to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Reduced pain and inflammation make it possible for you to be more active, which should help to significantly improve your overall mental well-being.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help and surround yourself with a strong support system if you’re dealing with MPS. Isolation while you’re dealing with chronic pain can worsen your depression and worsen your MPS as a result.
Don’t wait to seek treatment for your MPS. Contact our team at The Painless Center at 201-592-7246 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment at either of our locations.
