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In the summer of '04, I began
having all types of twisting and pinching sensations over my
entire scalp. Nothing I did made a bit of difference and the
one local M.D. I consulted, after a three-year hiatus from
traditional medicine, only suggested I meet with a
neurosurgeon the next time one came in town. (I'm sure he
meant neurologist, but that isn't what he said!)
After almost 2 months of
extreme pain, I ended up in a small town ER one evening
while on vacation. Long story shorter, the right MD can make
a world of difference. After doing a few tests to rule out
other things, I was diagnosed with "myofascial pain."
Now why didn't I think of
that? To those with the diagnosis of fibromyalgia, a very
commonly associated term/syndrome is "Chronic Myofascial
Pain." Not once had I researched my problem online, as there
was a time in the not too distant past, I was completely
consumed with my body's pain and problems and all I did was
search for answers and relief online. It consumed me, and I
made a choice that I didn't want to be defined only by my
health problems. It was at that point, while I continued to
strive to improve physically, I no longer researched every
little thing.
I am learning balance in a big
way, this go around. Had I only put in "scalp, pinch, twist"
in Google, I would have immediately been pointed to an
article written by someone I already knew and respected in
the field of fibromyalgia, citing myofascial pain as the
likely cause of my symptoms. Lesson learned: sometimes, it's
OK to do something you did in the past, it doesn't mean you
have to go overboard again.
Armed with this diagnosis, I
received some intensive physical therapy and a list of
exercises and stretches that targeted my shoulder and neck
muscles.
Minimal relief was achieved in
about three weeks. That wasn't enough. I still had near
constant head pain.
Somehow, this book, The
Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, by Claire Davies came into
my awareness. After receiving the book and looking at the
charts, my husband and I began working the specific trigger
points associated with the patterns of pain I was
experiencing on my head. Within days, I noticed a
significant improvement. After several months of
consistently working these points, I actually had entire
days at a time without this pain. Slowly, I also began to
identify certain activities that would cause an immediate
increase in scalp pain and sensation. Previously, I could
not even open a jar or lay my head on a pillow to sleep
without extreme pain.
By midsummer '05, almost a
full year after this started, I might go a week or two
without any painful sensations at all.
As I sit here now, in November
'05, dictating this, I'm realizing quite clearly that what I
thought was going to be a short book list has actually
turned out to be an entire article on this specific problem.
Thanks to a wonderfully supportive husband who continues to
treat these trigger point several times a week, the
myofascial pain on my scalp and head has become manageable.
My sweetheart also does the activities around the house that
tend to aggravate this problem and, I do my part by
stretching and exercising my neck and shoulder muscles. But
I believe I should be doing these things more regularly.
Another lesson learned!
SUMMARY: Right now, if I were
to choose one single book to accompany me on that wonderful
desert island my pirate characters are currently inhabiting
in my Jewels of the Isle stories, this would be it.
The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment
Guide for Pain Relief, Second Edition (July, 2004)
by Clair Davies.
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