Fibromyalgia Community

I go to a chiropractor. They apply heat for about 10 min than rub it out, and then do so alignment work. I see them weekly, they'd like me to come in more often, but with everything else on my schedule once a week is all i can fit in. But I have to tell you I feel TONS better after seeing them, its relieves the knot i get in my right shoulder and even some of the tingles and numbness i get in that area too. You might want to give a chiropractor a try and see if that helps.

The above statement about chiro is right on, used them for years. The problem it is hard to break em' and they are painful as hell. You should be hydrating well when you leave.16-20 oz of water to flush.......

I go to neurology and have them injected...trigger point injections. Some have broken and gone away but alot are chronic and going no where. She just helps for a bit. I go every 2 weeks for shots and the upper shoulders and between the shoulder blades are a given. Then the neck ones are adressed. They (like talk to eachother) one leads to another.

You know that song, the leg bone is connected to the HIP bone...the bla bla bla.....it is like that.

There are latent (painless unless touched) ones in the muscle and the ones talking are held also by those. ALL need to be treated. Look into the book that I was just talking about. FM and Chronic Myofascial Pain, a survival manual. You will learn alot about who is making what...and it's treatment. A great 19.99 investment. The board showed me this years ago and it is one of my best tools.

You will see me rubbing on doors often and I have massage regularly, despite the pain I know that hydration before...a break up by good thumbs and hydration after will help put the buggers to rest. These congested knots make the muscle so dysfunctional and take away good range of motion for you.

Headaches and poor posture result from it all. After the treatments, good posture and good deep breathin git another tool to help pull fresh blood through there.

Geez I wish you luck. All my best, Nancy B

There is also a THERACANE that can be used by yourself to self massage the zones, you will know when you are on them...and you work em out. A bit pricey but again...worth it.

I had knots for years in my right trapezius muscle, massage did little to get rid of them and they were SO painful! My rheumy injected them with lidocaine, and they went away.

Before the shots, I could be seen rubbing on doorways like Nancy (it made the cats nuts!) or lying on the floor with a couple of tennis balls in a sock under the knots (the dog hated that). Both of these methods hurt, but the promise of breaking them up made it worth it in my mind.

Remember - they are trigger points, so whomever gives them the injection has to know what they're doing.

Agree with all these are trigger points and need to be specifically treated. Over time nerves become entangled in these causing numbness and tingling in extremities that can be more serious.

I used to struggle a lot with shoulder/neck/head pain--with painful knots. I still do to some degree but I have found that consistent exercise keeps me loose (er). You mentioned stretching, but I also mean walking, bike, elliptical, etc. I'm not sure why it helps from a scientific viewpoint, but it probably has to do with blood/oxygen flow.

I've been considering going to a chiropractor, since my doctor suggested it with a "Well, maybe it'll help?" So it's nice to get some confirmation that this is a good suggestion. Thanks!

I think tis book is in my local library. Pretty sure I spotted it when I was snagging The First Year: Fibromyalgia (also a really helpful book, which has been making me feel a lot less crazy). Next time I'm there, I'll grab it and take a look.

I'm working on the exercise thing. I'm walking as much as I can, wearing a pedometer and setting goals and everything. I spontaneously do other things, too, when I'm feeling up to it! Unfortunately, I seem to get more knots the more I exercise, which I think means I need to take things just a little slower. . .

KatmanduLou-Are you there? I have acquired the knot in MY right shoulder! It's like the pain is in the should blade then pains up the side of my neck. I've tried muscle relaxers and that don't help. I don't want to take more hydrocodone and Ibuprophen is off the list. What else?

Is this part of Fibromyalgia or did I sleep funny?

Please help me Obi One, you're my only hope! LOL! I had to throw some humor in there!
But seriously. Answer me back please. Thanx so much!
Mitz in Idaho

Kinkatia-I hear you!!
I am having that exact same problem! But It's like the pain or knot make me stiff in my neck!

It hurts to turn my head to the right.

Have you experienced that?

I tried a muiscle relaxer-nothing! I don't dare take a hydrocodone, I need to get through work today. Running out of options here.

Does the weather have anything to do with it. It's been raining off and on today.

It seems like if it's not one thing, it's another. A FMers life,blah! I want a new life! Where can I put my order in at?
Ha, Ha, Ha!
Mitz in Idaho.

Oh yeah, the knots send pain and stiffness right up my neck and down my arm. It's awful.

Luckily, I seem to have tamed this one, for now. I think I may have slept on my shoulder right for once!

I don't think weather affects mine. The weather has been consistently lovely for the past couple of weeks here. :)

I've just finished reading The Survival Guide for FM and Chronic Myofascial Pain, wirtten in 2001. I have to say this was the BEST book I written thus far!

Has anyone found success finding to someone that can appropriately give trigger points injections or Doctors that can effectively deal with Chronic Myofascial Pain? Noone seems to be dealing with this anymore.

Another great book to read is "Alchemy of Illness" written by Kat Duff. She suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as well.