Without treatment, the syndrome is chronic. While much has been learned about the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of myofascial pain, its still poorly understood by many in the medical community, Dr. Karges said. It is not unusual, for example, to see a patient diagnosed as having a heriated disc in the lower back, only to find out it's actually myofascial pain syndrome. Regional myofascial pain affects a larger area, such as the neck, shoulder and upper back. It 's part of the overuse phenomenon brought on by our attempts to work as fast as machines can work.
Problems set in, then the body tries to compensate and the pain spreads and gets worse.
Generalized myofascial pain, the third type of myofascial pain syndrome, appears throughout the body. Dr. Karges says there are identifiable trigger points located in the injured upper shoulder, mid-thoracic spine, achilles tendon, in the hip and elsewhere. Identifying them is part of diagnosing myofascial pain syndrome. Successful treatment begins with getting full blood flow back into the injured area in order to start the healing process. The second step involves stretching the fascia of the muscles to increase their range.