Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Myofascial Pain & Referred Pain: What the Heck are They, Really?

September is National Pain Awareness Month. So let’s talk about pain.

Let’s talk about Referred Pain and Myofascial Pain, in particular.

Referred Pain is when the body triggers pain to areas other than the affected.  Basically, you can originate physical stress in one area of your body, yet feel it in another.

Nice, right?

It goes hand-in-hand with Myofascial pain. One of Mother Nature’s least desired conditions.

Although the name may lead many to assume it affects only the face, that is misleading. It affects anywhere on the body. If you contract a muscle repeatedly, you may feel a knot, pain point, or tightness. The pain may involve a single muscle or even a grouping of muscles. And on top of that, pain can be 'referred' to another area.

According to the National Spine & Pain Center:

A tough connective tissue layer called fascia covers our muscles and spreads uninterrupted throughout our bodies. When injured, this tissue may tighten and contract putting painful pressure on nerves, muscles, bones, or organs. The area where the injury occurs is referred to as a trigger point. It may feel like a “knot” or “band” in the muscle. Often very sensitive to even light pressure, these trigger points typically generate pain not only at the site, but also in various other areas of the body (referred pain). You may experience symptoms that appear totally unrelated to the original injury.

There may be a feeling of tender pain points, muscle weakness, tightness, stiffness, or limited range of motion.

But good news: there are positive ways to deal with such a negative condition.

According to the Mayo Clinic:

Self-care measures to keep your body healthy may make it easier for you to concentrate on coping with your pain. Try to:
Exercise. Gentle exercise can help you cope better with pain.
Relax. If you're stressed and tense, you may experience more pain. Find ways to relax. Meditating, writing in a journal or talking with friends can all be helpful.
Take care of your body. Eat a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables. Get enough sleep so that you wake rested. Take care of your body so that you can put your energy toward coping with your pain.

Three key points of interest: Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) tends to increase with age, it is more common in women, and with folks who lead sedentary lifestyles.

We as Americans hear more and more that a sedentary lifestyle is not only an unhealthy choice, but also many doctors have now compared the level of danger to that of smoking cigarettes!

That is why Miracle Stretch® is determined to help anyone, at any age, combat a sedentary lifestyle! We are determined to help you triumph over pain and get moving past it.

Now, we’re not saying you have to climb a mountain or enter a triathalon. (At least, not yet.) Just start at your own comfort level, and at your own pace. Miracle Stretch® will meet you where you are in life, and then help you move forward. Our most popular product, the Piri-Stretcher® is designed to help Myofascial pain in the low back, buttocks, and legs through isolating the piriformis muscle for a targeted stretch. We provide you the tool to get optimal leverage and ease to conquer the difficult to reach piriformis muscle. When this muscle is properly stretched, relaxed, and supple it reduces tension and helps provide lasting, natural relief. It is easy to use, extremely affordable, and has already helped thousands relieve their pain!

So lets team up and push back against pain, make it this month.

Take a moment. Take a stretch. For yourself.

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