Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy
At The Pain Treatment & Wellness Center, a comprehensive approach to myofascial (muscle) pain is taken. Here are some of the things you may expect before, during, and after your sessions.
Those who seek trigger point therapy should have had their pain at least three weeks to one month.
Before we schedule your trigger point therapy appointment, we would be happy to speak to you over the phone to discuss your condition to see if it fits what we believe we can help. If your condition sounds suspect of another condition, we may ask that you see your doctor to rule out any serious disorders.
Attire you will need for your appointment is loose fitting clothing, such as shorts and a tank top or sports bra (female) which you may bring along and change into.
When you arrive for your first appointment, you will need to complete a detailed intake and history form. We will then go over your intake and allow you to talk about your pain (when it began, what it feels like, when it is the worst, etc) to help determine if your pain is being caused by something in your everyday life. We will address those concerns one at a time and provide you with some solutions that will take some strain off your body. Then we will check your vital signs and begin your range of motion, postural, and palpatory assessment.
Therapy will then begin to deactivate trigger points and reduce muscular tension. This aspect of your therapy is very interactive because the perception of pain varies widely between people. Trigger points are by their nature very tender, but the treatment of them does not have to be excruciatingly painful. This has been a downfall and misconception of the therapy for some time and is not how it is practiced here. We do not subscribe to the "no pain, no gain" mentality for therapy. We will also work to limber your body to help restore muscle resting length and moist heat will be intermittently applied to promote muscle relaxation. We use a variety of techniques depending on your pain and our findings.
After therapy we will discuss your at home self care program so that you can continue your therapy between appointments to help you heal faster. After all of your questions are answered, we will get you scheduled for your next appointment and we encourage you to call and ask any questions you may have in the meantime. Sometimes, after therapy, it is not uncommon for a person to feel 'flared up' for that evening or the next day. This is something that only happens in a few cases and generally only happens once. Just know that it is normal if it occurs.
Massage Therapy
For a massage you should arrive about 10 minutes early to your first appointment so that you will have time to complete your paperwork. Then your therapist will do a brief intake to see if you have any particular tightness that you would like focused on during your session.
The therapist will then leave the room for you to disrobe and lay under the sheets on the massage table. The degree to which you disrobe is completely up to you. Some people leave undergarments on while others are fully nude. Again, it is a matter or your comfort and either way your therapist will have your body draped properly so that only areas being worked on will be exposed.
Pressure used by the therapist is also at your discretion. Some people like a deep tissue massage, usually referred to as an athletic massage while others prefer lighter pressure. Your therapist will ask you how you are responding to the pressure and if you would like more or less. We encourage you to be interactive with your therapist regarding pressure so they can get used to your preference. After that, feel free to talk or take a nap. The choice is yours!
.
 |
 |