In this post I would like to discuss why many people are wrong when they think trigger points cannot help them as they suffer from certain conditions.
The following are common objections I often hear regarding a trigger point self-treatment:
“I have arthritis, a herniated disk, impingement syndrome, etc. I may need surgery. A self-treatment won’t help me.”
Trigger points can mimic other diseases and injuries, and thus can lead to frustration during a treatment.
Trigger points disturb the nervous system (= the control station of the body) and can trigger a wide variety of pains and mimic other diseases and injuries by causing similar symptoms and pain patterns that these diseases and injuries cause.
These pains, symptoms and diseases are called differential diagnosis (= other possible diagnoses). Below you will find an excerpt of differential diagnoses, which can bring up symptoms that can also be initiated by trigger points.
If trigger points are not taken into consideration, this can lead to frustrating therapy processes. This is a pity, because in my experience, in many cases a self-treatment could provide good and above all fast results and relief, respectively.
Of course, you should always consult a doctor for clarification first and never make a self-diagnosis.
Trigger points are rather “harmless”, even though they can cause severe symptoms.
Nevertheless, the following diagnoses and trigger points may exist in parallel and are NOT mutually exclusive.
It is therefore ALWAYS advisable to consult your doctor for clarification first and, if necessary, to initiate adequate treatment.
Trigger points can cause the same or very similar pain patterns and symptoms as the following diseases and syndromes:
Trigger points can therefore cause pain and symptoms that are confusingly similar to pain caused by the diagnoses mentioned above.
However, they are often not considered as triggers for the pain and complaints and are therefore not treated.
In my opinion, a treatment of these points, including a self-treatment, can avoid a lot of pain and frustration, sometimes even prevent, or delay surgery, and speed up recovery.
Since trigger points can exist in parallel with the diagnoses mentioned above, a self-treatment can possibly bring relief even if arthrosis etc. is present.
The reason for this is that the pain caused by trigger points can be alleviated or eliminated, and the overall condition can thus improve.
So, you clearly see: Trigger points are not the whole or only truth. But they are often not taken into consideration and can exist in parallel with other physical problems.
I hope I could shed some light on the topic and that you now understand pain a little better.