Trigger Points/Muscle pain

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Telemetry, Med-Surg, ED, Psych.

I suffer from muscular trigger points in my back. A trigger point in a hyperirritable band of taut muscles that twitches when pressure is applied. They are very annoying and constant pain. Does anyone else have this? I think that my daily stress load in combination with lifting turning and streatching is to blame.

Specializes in ER, Med Surg,Drug Etoh, Psych.

I do too and its awlful huh?:crying2:I use lidoderm patches and they help some but not much. no one would beleive the pain unless they experience it.Hope you feel better !

No one would believe the pain. And that is the most painful part of it, the being doubted, questioned, being the subject of suspicion and derision. As I said in another post, my prayer is that those doing the doubting will come to know, through personal experience in their own bodies, how painful such things really can be.

Good luck to OP.

Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.

Well, pain management does trigger point injections. I have had them done before and they work fabulously. In my case, Marcaine was used and he went through 2 vials injecting about 15 points around my scapula and intravertebral muscles. I only needed one session.

Specializes in OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.

I had those trigger points and resultant pain when I was very tense. Acupuncture and Network chiropractic treatments helped eradicate that.

I use the Lamaze relaxation technique when I'm tense now, to prevent the onset of pain, which can become a cyclic occurence, with the pain causing tension, so if it can be avoided, all the better.

Specializes in Home Care, Primary care NP, QI, Nsg Adm.

I've had the same problems for years. All the above treatments can be beneficial.

I stretch every morning after a shower. Only 5 to 10 mins. of a general stretch that really helps keep upper back pain in check.

Try to assess your body mechanics in lifting and turning.

Stress is a huge issue in all of this but once the process is set-up it becomes chronic as you have undoubtedly discovered.

Deep tissue massage may help. You can try posting in nursing specialties to licensed massage nurse therapists for additional advice.

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