Musculoskeletal Pain from Repetitive Strain in Musicians: Insights into an Alternative Approach

2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-49
Author(s):  
Clair Davies
Keyword(s):  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Trigger Points ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
The Body ◽  
Medical Community ◽  
Myofascial Trigger Points ◽  
Alternative Approach ◽  
Small Contraction ◽  
Repetitive Strain ◽  
Accepted Practice

In dealing with the symptoms of repetitive strain suffered by musicians, the focus has been primarily on assessing prevalence and developing means of prevention. While these are useful endeavors, the etiology of repetitive strain at the cellular level has not been well understood. As a consequence, the well-established forms of therapy--drugs, exercise, stretching, splinting, and rest--have gone largely unquestioned, even though they fail to solve the problems of many musicians. Chronic pain continues to ruin musical careers, in spite of everything the medical community has to offer. It may be worth questioning whether the medical community is overlooking something of value outside the boundaries of accepted practice. There is reason to believe that a significant proportion of the aches, pains, and other symptoms caused by repetitive strain are actually generated by myofascial trigger points, or small contraction knots, in the muscles of the body. This article is an effort to acquaint the readers with the basic tenets of myofascial trigger points.

scholarly journals A Comparative Study on the Effects of Trigger Point Release vs Myofascial Release for Myofascial Trigger Points of Upper Trapezius in Smartphone Users

2021 ◽  
Vol SP (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anjali Suresh ◽  
Rama Chandra L. A. ◽  
Prasanna Mohan
Keyword(s):  
Pain Intensity ◽  
Trigger Point ◽  
Trapezius Muscle ◽  
Trigger Points ◽  
The Body ◽  
Myofascial Trigger Points ◽  
Myofascial Release ◽  
Upper Trapezius ◽  
Upper Trapezius Muscle ◽  
Neck Disability

Background/aim: The increasing use of smartphone in daily life has brought about numerous musculoskeletal problems. Impairments in the neck is the most common when compared to other parts of the body. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of two different manual treatment techniques in two separate groups, i.e., trigger point release and Myofascial release (MFR) on the trigger points (TrPs) in the upper trapezius muscle in smartphone users. Both group received Ultrasound therapy. The smartphone addiction scale -short version was administered to all participants to determine the level of addiction and those who scores were high were included in the study. The set criteria in the study included the pain intensity on the visual analogue scale (VAS) neck disability using the Neck Disability Index and Cervical Range of motion side flexion using cervical goniometer. Subjects and methods: This clinical trial study assessed the outcome measures within and between groups before, after the intervention and a follow up was done after 15 days. The target population were smartphone users between the age group of 18 to 35 years. 106 subjects (48 males, 53 females) participants who had been selected from among the eligible participants of 176 and who had TrPs in their upper trapezius muscle. Results: The effect of Trigger point release and Myofascial release on patients of each groups with TrPs in the upper trapezius muscle resulted in increased cervical lateral flexion (P < 0.001), decreased pain intensity on VAS (P < 0.001) and decreased decrease in Neck disability (P < 0.001) within the groups and between the group there was no significance. Conclusion: Both manual techniques Trigger point release and Myofascial release reduced the symptoms of TrPs in the upper trapezius in both the groups equally, neither technique being superior to the other.

Myofascial Pain

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (06) ◽  
pp. 640-643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Comeau ◽  
James Otis ◽  
Jason Weller
Keyword(s):  
Myofascial Pain ◽  
Pain Syndrome ◽  
Myofascial Pain Syndrome ◽  
Trigger Points ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Myofascial Pain Syndromes ◽  
Myofascial Trigger Points ◽  
Pain Syndromes ◽  
Outer Covering ◽  
Motor End Plate

AbstractMyofascial pain syndromes arise from acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain and often have a referred neuropathic component. It affects more than three quarters of the world's population and is one of the most important and overlooked causes of disability. The origins of pain are thought to reside anywhere between the motor end plate and the fibrous outer covering of the muscle, with involvement of microvasculature and neurotransmitters at the cellular level. Diagnosis is made by clinical examination for the presence of myofascial trigger points, though some ancillary tests may provide supportive evidence. The mainstay of treatment is regular physical therapy with the goal of restoration of normal muscle laxity and range of motion. Adjunct therapies including pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions provide varying degrees of benefit in refractory cases, and onabotulinum toxin A injection has the most evidence of efficacy for these patients. Here, we discuss the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and diagnostic and therapeutic options for the evaluation and treatment of myofascial pain syndrome.

scholarly journals Assessment of the Short-Term Effectiveness of Kinesiotaping and Trigger Points Release Used in Functional Disorders of the Masticatory Muscles

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danuta Lietz-Kijak ◽  
Łukasz Kopacz ◽  
Roman Ardan ◽  
Marta Grzegocka ◽  
Edward Kijak
Keyword(s):  
Pain Syndrome ◽  
Trigger Points ◽  
Masticatory Muscles ◽  
The Body ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Functional Disorders ◽  
Myofascial Trigger Points ◽  
Analgesic Effects ◽  
Therapeutic Problem

Chronic face pain syndrome is a diagnostic and therapeutic problem for many specialists, and this proves the interdisciplinary and complex nature of this ailment. Physiotherapy is of particular importance in the treatment of pain syndrome in the course of temporomandibular joint functional disorders. In patients with long-term dysfunction of masticatory muscles, the palpation examination can localize trigger points, that is, thickening in the form of nodules in the size of rice grains or peas. Latent trigger points located in the muscles can interfere with muscular movement patterns, cause cramps, and reduce muscle strength. Because hidden trigger points can spontaneously activate, they should be found and released to prevent further escalation of the discomfort. Kinesiotaping (KT) is considered as an intervention that can be used to release latent myofascial trigger points. It is a method that involves applying specific tapes to the patient’s skin in order to take advantage of the natural self-healing processes of the body. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the kinesiotaping method and trigger points inactivation on the nonpharmacological elimination of pain in patients with temporomandibular disorders. The study was conducted in 60 patients (18 to 35 years old). The subjects were randomly divided into two subgroups of 30 people each. Group KT (15 women and 15 men) were subjected to active kinesiotaping application. Group TrP, composed of 16 women and 14 men, was subjected to physiotherapy with the release of trigger points by the ischemic compression method. The results show that the KT method and TrP inactivation brought significant therapeutic analgesic effects in the course of pain-related functional disorders of the muscles of mastication. The more beneficial outcomes of the therapy were observed after using the KT method, which increased the analgesic effect in dysfunctional patients.

scholarly journals Dry Needling and Management of Trigger Points with Low Back Pain: An Evidence to Practice Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-25
Author(s):  
Matthew Drescher ◽  
Matthew Rivera ◽  
Lindsey Eberman
Keyword(s):  
Low Back Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Trigger Points ◽  
The Body ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Dry Needling ◽  
Myofascial Trigger Points

Low back pain is a common health concern. The development of myofascial trigger points due to low back pain can cause debilitating pain and loss of functional movement in patients. Dry needling is a minimally invasive procedure that has shown to be useful in the treatment of myofascial trigger points when used with other forms of treatment. However, the literature surrounding dry needling and myofascial trigger points in patients with low back pain is lacking. The guiding systematic review and meta-analysis sought to analyze the effectiveness of dry needling for patients with low back pain. The review utilized eight databases for randomized controlled trials and selected 11 of 784 articles for analysis based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. A 6-subgroup meta-analysis was conducted on these studies, and 6 of the 11 studies were found to have high risk of bias. The included studies used both pain measurements and functional measurements including the visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ). The studies did not include objective functional measurements. Overall researchers found a clinically meaningful decrease in outcome scores in the short-term, but there were no significant differences in pain or functional outcomes through long-term follow-up. This seems to correlate with the current literature on dry needling and its inflammatory effects on the body, suggesting that dry needling alone does not provide any long-term effect on myofascial trigger points in patients with low back pain. Dry needling should be combined with other treatments and high-quality rehabilitation to provide longer-lasting results and better treatment outcomes for patients with low back pain.

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