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Muscle Spasm & Trigger Points
Since about 60% of your body is muscle and bone, it should come as no suprise that chronic pain, strain, spasm, irritation, inflammation or other musculoskeletal conditions are so common. In fact, many of the millions of people who visit their doctors of chiropractic annually do so because of these problems. Why? Chronic Muscle Spasm, Fibrositis & FibromyalgiaDo your muscles feel "tight", especially in the morning? Do you always need to stretch with constant aches and pains in your neck, low back and hips? Do you feel old and stiff with morning fatigue, sleeping problems and many tender spots? These are some of the symptoms of a condition called fibromyalgia, chronic muscle spasm, rheumatism, myofascitis, myositis or myotendinosis. Fibromyalgia often appears in midlife, but it may be seen at any age. Fibromyalgia symptoms interfere with everyday life activities. Millions of people (mostly women between 20 and 50) suffer from it. John Lowe, D.C., describes typical symptoms:
...a constant pain between the shoulder blades...neck, shoulder, hip, or low back has been "killing him"...one of his arms or legs is numb, tingles, or hurts. He may have some basic problem such as emotional stress, arthritis, poor posture, locked spinal joints, or a nutritional inadequacy...they're virtually always accompanied by chronic spasms, along with tight constrictions of his connective tissue,
Trigger Points
Trigger Points are tender, sensitive areas that, when pressed, stuck, heated or cooled can be exquisitively painful. You may first discover trigger points when you are suprised by someone pressing a seemingly pain-free area. Trigger point pain may also be referred to other areas of the body. Trigger points are common in chronic muscle spasm, myalgia, myositis, fibrositis, strain and sprain, and other muscle and joint problems. A Medical Mystery
To standard medicine, muscle spasm, fibrositis and trigger points are amystery. No specific abnormality has consistently been found in the muscles or connective tissues of people with fibromyalgia and nothing is known to be awry in their body chemistry. Medical doctorshave tried novocaine, procaine and xylocaine injections; cooling sprays, muscle relaxaqnt drugs, cortisone injections; and other drugs, with mixed results. These are temporary, often hit-or-miss solutions. The still-suffering patient is often referred to a physical therapist for heat, message and other modalities, again with limited success. Holistic Approach
A holistic approach to this condition has become very polular. Strong psychological components-anxiety, compulsiveness and depression-have been noted; Psychological problems (ranging from being abused as a child to living with an alcoholic spouse) are issues that need to be dealt with while treating fibrositis. Many people with fibrositis are sedentary and out of shape. Aerobic exercise can improve the sleep disturbances, fatigue and pain of fibrositis. Plus your muscles need a chance to relax, too. This can be done in various ways; muscle stretching, message, hot showers, hot and cold compresses, and liniments (oil of wintergrees is widely used).
The Chiropractic Approach
The most common disruption of the nerve-muscle relationship occurs as a result of the vertebral subluxation complex. A vertebral subluxation occurs when the spinal bones (the vertebrae) become misaligned and irritate or damage the spinal chord, spinal nerves, fascia, meninges and other tissues. Subluxations can alter the concentration of enzymes and other chemicals necessary for skeletal muscle health which may play a role in muscle diseases. Compression of a nerve interferes with impulse transmission, causing muscle paralysis, vasodilation and trophic ulcers. Chronic hyperactivity of sympathetic nerves is detrimental to the tissues and organs which they innervate and may be related to musculoskeletal dysfunction in the spinal area. Vertebral subluxations cause joints to "freeze" or lose normal movement, causing damage to the involved area. Movement is essential for the prevention of contracture and adhesion formation within the joint. Conclusion
The doctor of chiropractic corrects vertebral subluxations, seeking to correct the mechanical (muscle, bone and joint) factors that play a major part in chronic muscle spasm or fibrositis: the nerves, muscles and bones (the neuromusculoskeletal system). For some, chiropractic may prove to be the key to alleviating chronic muscle spasm. A recent book review on fibromyalgia in the Journal of the Medical Association carried this shocking(!) admission by the reviewer. "One wishes the book had also included other approaches to fibromyalgia: chiropractic adjustment, manipulation, yoga..." Clearly, if you are suffering from muscle spasm, trigger points or fibrositis, you should see a doctor of chiropractic to make sure your spine is free from vertebral subluxations. A healthy spinal column will ensure that the nerves going to your muscles are free of nerve interference and that is a necessary foundation for healthy muscle function.