I've been looking at this website posted by Jo (Today I...) regarding TOS in conjunction with Fibromyalgia and/or Chronic Myofascial Pain. Very interesting Jo--thank you! I think the topic is worth a thread of it's own.

I wonder what the relationship is between TOS and CMP. I know that I and several others here have been diax with Fibromyalgia but I think my case is more a case of CMP that has turned into TOS and then Fibromyalgia or "Fibromyalgia like" symptoms.

I want to give Trigger Point Therapy a try and am wondering how successful it has been for others here?? And did your PT understand TOS and if so or not was it helpful? Sover.net has links to Trigger Point therapists but the one in my area has never even heard of TOS even though she was an instructor of TPtherapy (seems odd). At any rate my PT dollars and my own are very limited and I want to choose wisely before trying trigger point.

This is the site where I found a list of Trigger Point PTs. If anyone knows of additition sources please post them. Thank You.
http://myofascialtherapy.org/locate.asp

fern


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from Jo's post:
Have you seen this website about FM? {and CMPS}
http://www.sover.net/~devstar/define.htm

this is interesting -
[ Physical therapy and all other forms of treatment must proceed very carefully when both of these conditions are involved, because any excess pain caused by the therapy can further sensitize the central nervous system. Any treatment regimen will be both more complicated and less successful than if the patient had only one of the two conditions.

and some of the treatments normally prescribed for FMS patients can cause damage to CMP patients, and the reverse is also true. You cannot strengthen a muscle that has a TrP, because the muscle is already physiologically contracted, for example. Too many physical therapists see a weakened muscle and immediately attempt to strengthen it without testing for the presence of TrPs. Attempts at strengthening a muscle with TrPs will only cause the TrPs to worsen and may develop satellites and secondaries. ]

I think this is why many with TOS, CMPS, FMS often don't have a good results with PT.
They don't look deep enough for a person's specific causes & needs.
They just do the old generic cookie cutter PT plan....
__________________

Jo

Good idea!

I think I have some traits of of all 3 after looking thru that site

The Pressure Pointer website has a chart that really helped me to find and work on my TrPs when I had then {or get them}.
these are the top sites I liked {05}- I haven't looked for new ones since then...

Triggerpoints and referred pain and stretching:
http://www.pressurepointer.com/pain_reference_chart.htm
http://www.triggerpointbook.com/index.html
http://triggerpoints.net/_sgg/m1m1_1.htm
http://altmedicine.about.com/library...ressure+points
http://www.drlowe.com./triggerpoint.htm
http://www.bodymindresources.com/car...horaciclab.htm

a lot of TrP work is something you can do with a tennis ball of any size that fits best for you - use it on the floor or against a wall - but sometimes you still need somebody with a knuckle or finger to press in exactly the right spot when you can't get anything else to fit right.

a friend or partner can do it

Just be very careful in the neck muscle areas - that might be best left for a professional to do.
Don't want to be pressing on you artery or veins there...

There is probably videos on Youtube or Google showing how it is done.

Fern,
I am a Nationally Certified Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist. I treat CMPS, TOS, FMS .... with good outcome(s). Send me a PM with the area you are from and I will try to locate a qualified therapist for you to contact.
You may also want to look at Certified Bonnie Prudden Myotherapists Directory at
http://www.myotherapyforpainrelief.c...pist/index.php

During my initial tx for CMP, before the dx's of TOS, Rsd, and cervical radiculopathy (before their accurate dx, not before their presense), I had 2 rounds of PT involving weights and therabands that made my pain progressively worse. My doctor at the time said it was because I wasn't working hard enough at PT and "it was all in my head"

Thank you for the list of PT's certified in myofascial work, Painfree. Has that been added to the stickied list of TOS professionals ?

Hey guys,

I know I have tp's and tos and myofacial pain and now they are saying maybe fibro.......bag of worms......

I have been having tp mt for a while now with good results but lately I have had to have no tp treatment at all in my sessions once a week as I flare up massively with the tp treatment. I am at my wits end with this really you think you have something figured out then you get messed up and new wrenches are thrown into the mix!!!!

not that this helps anybody....just my situation.

take care all,
hugs,
Victoria

Vic- I sometimes have the same problem....i have MT once every two weeks for 1.5 hours. The guy i go to is trained in meuromuscular massage as well. Most times, he does some amazing things that make me feel better, others he'll hit something a little too hard and I'll have a month of flare...(just came off one of those). When I get the flares Ijust amp up the meds and rest, stay away from the MT for a while. When it subsides i go back and we proceed in the touchy areas more carefully. It is such a mixed bag. blech.

In the end, I think it is a learning process. I went to him for about 6 months before the first major breakthrough. one day, all of the sudden my back pain just really really diminished. Even though it has come back a little from time to time it usually goes away again after a session, and it hasn't been as bad as it used to be for a really long time.

i can't even tell you exactly what he did, he just seems to know how to get what i need done most of the time. It definitely is a combination of working legs, back, arms, shoulders and neck, though. I think my hamstrings and quadratus muscles play a large role in keeping my back so useless....

anyhoo...just my 2cents. nice to see you back, i bet the calgary weather is lovely this time of year. The sierras are wonderful but I have been itching to get to the rockies of late.

johanna

Hi Jo,
Calgary is nice right now! Aside from the severe thunderstorms and the tornado warnings.......the days are warm then a cold air mass will come and produce yucky storms. Marc caught a twister on his cell phone last weekend while golfing. I nearly freaked....ok I did freak! Where do you go when you are golfing!!!
We are going to Ontario soon for my brothers wedding ....why am i the last to wed???? come with the ring Marc....lol.....anyhow wedding on Aug 8 so I'll get to see family from Scotland and Ontario. Will be nice to go home then look forward to come back to the fall and go to Jasper or BAnff for a getaway weekend with my man.

you are so right about the massage thing. Going once a week despite the 65.oo cost is what keeps me on my feet. We only focus on back neck arms and sometimes head. oh forgot pecs as well so chest when I need it.
My issue is the shoulder blade. It gets stuck with connective tissue and just does not want to move so when she works it I am in agony for a night usually a 10/10 pain so I amp up my meds as you so eloquently said and hop into bed with a hell of a lot of japanese mint oil all over my back neck and shoulder. Could not live without the stuff. Brings blood flow to the area and has a similar effect to biofreeze type things.....except it lasts for hours!!!!!!!! I love it brand is hagina....see link
http://www.hagina.ca/japanese.htm

It is very potent stuff. I put a little holly oil courtesey of my MT and then cover myself in a lot of the oil and it helps me to sleep and I smell so fresh!!. Marc loves the smell. It is great on all muscle aches. MY MT sells it for 10.00 a bottle and I could not live without it esp. when I travel!!!!!
I cover myself on the airplane and the comments I get!! oh what smells so good??? you get the idea....ok rambling.

point is mint oil rocks get your MT to massage you with it and see how you do with it added in. I swear by it!

take care,
love and hugs,
Victoria

Is the oil a soothing cooling feeling or warmth?
My bod doesn't like warmth
Increases throbbing & pain.
Cyndy

The oil makes you feel cool. It brings blood to the area you put on it. I find it cools me for a few hours. I don't feel heat. It feels cold and it brings the blood flow by opeining up the blood vessels and allowing the area to repair the inflammation by the increased fluid.

hope that this helps.
love and hugs,
Victoria