I've been in primary care for 30 years and If I may try to clarify some of the lessons I have learned along the way. This journey of discovery started 15 yrs ago while studying Acupuncture to help my patients suffering with Fibromyalgia. I had a FM patient be well with the help of this therapy. I had to know why and how this worked.
Well I discovered as many years of study and trials, Acupuncture was NOT what I thought. To sum it up, Acupuncture or Traditional Chinese Acupuncture is a way to complement the healing process using needles a tools to unblock energy. This therapy also incorporates a way of life, peace and balance.
Then I also discovered pain was NOT what I thought! Pain is not “Trigeminal neuralgia or Sciatica,” these are names modern doctors use to classify a thought processes to help insurance companies complex payment and denial system. What I found was that pain is an alarm signaling the need to be on alert. Any signal is an alert whether it is an itch, a burning sensation, a sting or electrical. Pain only comes from a few causes; Infections, cancer, tumors, broken bones, torn flesh, hunger, a hot stove or what we call space occupying lesions (aneurysms).
There is one other cause of pain that all of us seem disregard because this pain usually will go away all by itself. Like a smashed thumb from a hammer, it automatically self-repair under the laws of natural healing. A pulled muscle, twisted ankle, broken, cut abrasion and lacerations will ALL automatically heal. Automatic repair is a given that we just overlook and discount because it is God given and just the way it is.
But what happens if the automatic repair process stalls or is incomplete, like a faulty repair. What happens if the pain signal get “stuck-on.”. What happens with these “errors of repair” or faulty signal will not heal is that these “blaring-alarms” place the person in a high awareness state. The brain and consciousness will try to verbalize or analyze the problems continuously, 24-7. This stresses the brain and the person will become worried, anxious and fearful. Guess what stress will further stall the repairs and feed a vicious cycle.
What happens when this worried person goes to doctor and the provider finds nothing on the exam, scanners, test and X-rays. The worried person thinks, “wait a minute you mean I am in this amount of pain and you can’t find anything ...you think I’m crazy”
This is where my journey comes full circle from medical school, to Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese medicine and then to what I stumbled over with a crash. Nowhere in any of my textbooks, articles or told to me my mentors. There were clues along the way but no one really informed me with authority. Massage therapist, Chiropractors, Physical Therapist all knew but were belittled and marginalized by renowned surgeons and prestigious well articled physicians.
The trailblazer was Janet G. Travell, MD. took on this task. She unlocks all the confusion. She proves that the core of most chronic pain issues is in the muscles or Myofascial tissues. Stress will breakdown muscle tissue fibers that sometimes will not heal correctly. These defects called “Trigger Points” within muscles and tissues (Myofascial tissues) will accumulate until they reach a points of “dis-ease.” Myofascial tissue is everywhere there are muscles, from around the head and sinuses to the feet and toes. Sick and weak MF tissues will restrict the full ability of a muscles to function well and cause pain and misery: Weakness, Numbness, tingling, stinging, burning pain, pinched nerves. Achiness, stiffness and restricted movement of any joint. Accelerated joint wear and tear plus bursitis and tendinitis. Headaches and sinus issues. Block arteries and swelling due to block venous return.
JGT and others in the world of Myofascial Tissues Therapy have vivid effective protocols on now to begin the healing process. ALL are safe, effective and straightforward. Myofascial Release Therapy (MRT) comes in simple to complex forms. Yoga, stretching, massage are all forms of MRT. Hands-on therapy is the foundation. Acupuncture is part of the invasive needle therapy. Why invasive and why needles? (later)
So MRT will reignite the healing cascade so the MF tissues will complete the healing cycle. Then all the false signaling will go away allowing better peace and harmony. MRT will disable the modern diagnostic terms physicians give to pain issues. MRT must be done at the beginning of a chronic pain illness so that a fleeting ache, spasm, sting or shock will not evolve into a full blown entity.
