Myofascial pain syndrome has varied recovery period due to the severity of the disease. Type of treatment also plays a major role in recovery from pain.
Recovery Period For Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Myofascial pain is caused due to muscle injury, muscular trauma or the repetitive movement of the muscles.1 The recovery period depends upon the severity of the condition and the number of trigger points involved. Further, the damage to the muscle fibers also plays an important role in the management of the condition. Organ affected with the referred pain also has a role to play in determining the recovery period of myofascial pain. Further, there is also a difference between the recovery of the damaged muscles and relief from referred pain in a particular organ. In many cases, the muscle gets healed but the referred pain does not go away or fades after some time. Although myofascial pain syndrome cannot be completely cured the symptoms can be effectively managed through proper treatment. As myofascial is a chronic condition, the recovery period for this condition is quite long as it involves the disappearance of pain and swelling and healing of muscular tissues.
The recovery period of myofascial pain also depends upon the type of treatment patient have opted as there is invasive and non-invasive treatment available. Some treatment almost immediately managed the pain and swelling while other treatment takes time. The treatment which is immediately effective is generally the invasive treatment just as dry needle or directly injecting drug at the site of pain or directly to the trigger point. However, it may take a few days to completely recover from the pain. The recovery period in non-invasive treatment is generally longer as compared to invasive treatment. The non-invasive treatment includes the hot bath, hot herbal compress, and ultrasound technique to improve blood circulation. In some cases, no treatment is required and the pain fades away in a few days.
Diagnosis Of Myofascial Pain
Diagnosis of the myofascial is done though excluding the diagnosis. This indicates that the doctor would rule out the other causes of muscle damage and accompanying pain and swelling. The diagnosis of myofascial pain syndrome can be done through the below techniques:
Understanding Of The Trigger Points. Myofascial pain syndrome involves the development of the trigger points. Due to these trigger points, the patient experiences pain in other, often unrelated organs. Thus, the healthcare professional treating the patient should be an expert in identifying various trigger points. Following are the various types of trigger points generally used in the diagnosis of myofascial pain:
Active Trigger Point. Active trigger point is an area within the muscle that is responsible for the development of pain. The active trigger point can be visible from outside.
Dormant Trigger Point. Dormant trigger point is that particular area within the muscle which has the potential to convert to the active trigger point and may lead to myofascial pain syndrome.
Secondary Trigger Point. A trigger point can be active by the activation of another trigger point. The trigger point that activates from the overload of another muscle or repetitive movements of another muscle is termed as the secondary trigger point.
Satellite Myofascial Point. This is a particular area that becomes inactive due to the development of another trigger point.2
Thus, the doctor may diagnose various trigger point responsible for pain.
Physical Evaluation. The trigger points can be felt by applying the slight pressure to the painful areas. Sometimes the trigger point in one area causes pain in another area. When the pressure is applied to the area of pain the patient may feel muscle twitch.
Other Tests. To rule out the other causes of muscle pain, the doctor may advise other tests.
Conclusion
Type of treatment and severity of the condition affects the recovery period in myofascial pain. Invasive treatment such as dry needle has less recovery time as compared to non-invasive methods such as hot bath and massage therapy.
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