Myosfacial Pain Specialist

What is myofascial pain?

Myofascial pain is a chronic condition that causes inflammation and pain in the connective tissue, or fascia, that covers your muscles.

This type of pain syndrome develops after an injury to your muscles, ligaments, or tendons. You may be at increased risk for developing myofascial pain if you work in a job or participate in a sport that requires repetitive motions.

Myofascial pain can also develop as a side effect of an underlying medical condition, including a heart attack.

What are the symptoms of myofascial pain?

Typically, the pain is at specific trigger points in your body. These trigger points are areas of knotted muscle that are especially tender during movements or when you’re under stress.

Myofascial pain can interfere with your quality of life and lead to other issues that affect your health, such as:

• Depression
• Chronic fatigue
• Behavioral changes

Pain can also make it difficult to do your job or engage in physical activities.

How is myofascial pain diagnosed?

Dr. Chiu reviews your medical history and performs a physical exam of your body. He assesses trigger point areas, applying pressure to them to gauge your level of pain.

To ensure pain isn’t related to other underlying medical conditions, Dr. Chiu may order diagnostic testing, such as X-rays or blood work.

What treatments are available for myofascial pain?

If physical therapy and massage therapy aren’t effective in releasing trigger points to relieve pain, Dr. Chiu may recommend a trigger point injection.

Trigger point injections deliver an anesthetic medication directly into the knotted muscles. The injection may also contain a steroid to reduce inflammation and aid the anesthetic in relieving pain. Dr. Chiu can administer an injection into a single trigger point or into multiple points during your visit.

Risks are very low for treatment with trigger point injections. Dr. Chiu and his staff create a treatment plan to effectively address the severity of your pain based on your medical history and current conditions to protect your overall health.

If chronic muscle pain or weakness makes it difficult to do your job or stay active, schedule an appointment to learn more about treatments for myofascial pain. You can book conveniently online or by calling the office nearest you.