Mayo Clinic study shows acupuncture and myofascial trigger therapy treat same pain areas

[Celebration]

http://www.physorg.com/news129903738.html

Ancient acupuncture and modern myofascial pain therapy each focus on hundreds of similar points on the body to treat pain, although they do it differently, says a physician at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville who analyzed the two techniques.

Results of the study, published May 10 in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, suggest that people who want relief from chronic musculoskeletal pain may benefit from either therapy, says chronic pain specialist Dr. Peter Dorsher of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic.

“This may come as a surprise to those who perform the two different techniques, because the notion has been that these are exclusive therapies separated by thousands of years,” he says. “But this study shows that in the treatment of pain disorders, acupuncture and myofascial techniques are fundamentally similar – and this is good news for anyone looking for relief.”

Classic Chinese acupuncture treats pain and a variety of health disorders using fine needles to “reset” nerve transmission, Dorsher says. Needles are inserted in one or several of 361 classical acupoints to target specific organs or pain problems. “This is a very safe and effective technique,” he says.

Myofascial trigger-point therapy, which has evolved since the mid-1800s, focuses on tender muscle or “trigger point” regions. There are about 255 such regions described by the Trigger Point Manual, the seminal textbook on myofascial pain. These are believed to be sensitive and painful areas of muscle and fascia, the web of soft tissue that surrounds muscle, bones, organs and other body structures. To relieve pain at these trigger points, practitioners use injections, deep pressure, massage, mechanical vibration, electrical stimulation and stretching, among other techniques.

[nashville_brook]

1. from a chronic pain person -- thank you for this!

i need to do acupuncture, but i don't have the money right now. as soon as i get a job, it will be the first thing i do (after paying debts).

right now i have maybe 3 good days out of 7 -- treating the pain with exercise, tramadol and ibuprofen. i've gone off the tramadol a couple of times and always the pain spirals out of control. my problem is "discitis" which sounds not-too bad, but in effect, i've got bone-on-bone pain in my spine (discs disappearing). the pain is amazing -- it's down in my hips and thighs in addition to my back.

i've also got all kinds of weird pain spots (fibromyalgia they say). so, randomly a finger will hurt like crazy -- or a spot on my shoulder -- or my big toe. these kinds of sporadic myalgias seem perfect for acupuncture therapy. that the idea is "reset" transmission of pain thru the nerves, seems spot-on -- as my problem is a spiraling condition. one little pain not treated becomes bigger and more intense progressively until i can't get out of bed. sucks.

[Warpy]

2. I found acupuncture to be miraculous for acute pain

but less successful on chronic pain, although there was partial relief.

An earlier brain scan study demonstrated changes within the pain perception areas of the brain through acupuncture.

It's like any other medical treatment, and results might vary for individual patients. We do know that it works and have been able to quantify physical reactions to it.

[Beregond2]

3. I find this article puzzling.

I have studied acupuncture, and am a massage therapist. Acupuncture, as traditionally understood, has nothing to do with nerves. Myofacial therapy and trigger point therapy are completely separate techniques using very different methods. They don't even address the same issues.

Dr. Dorsher seems to be mixing everything up.