[SandyW]

Hi all,

Had my first injections last Wednesday. Doctor gave me three, one each at C3, C4, C5. Had very little pain in recovery and the "fellow" told me to enjoy the next few hours. I did! first time in years I have had so little pain.

Normal pain returned that evening. I will return May 6 for the second set of injections.

The sports therapist suggested manual myofascial and said my massage therapist was only doing trigger point releases.The references to myofascia and trigger point releases seems to overlap, so it's all very confusing, I'm reading Wikipedia and in a 2008 review I thought OK a recent study. BUT it makes no sense to me. . .

"A 2008 review in Arch Phys Med Rehabil. of two recent studies, concludes they present groundbreaking findings that can reduce some of the controversy surrounding myofascial trigger points (MTrPs). The integrated hypothesis is the most credible and most complete proposed etiology of MTrPs. However, the feedback loop suggested in this hypothesis has a few weak links, and studies by Shah and colleagues in particular supply a solid link for one of them. The feedback loop connects the hypothesized energy crisis with the milieu changes responsible for noxious stimulation of local nociceptors that causes the local and referred pain of MTrPs. Shah's reports quantify the presence of not just 1 noxious stimulant but 11 of them with outstanding concentrations of immune system histochemicals. The results also strongly place a solid histochemical base under the important clinical distinction between active and latent MTrPs. [6] Subjects with active MTrPs in the muscle have a biochemical milieu of selected inflammatory mediators, neuropeptides, cytokines, and catecholamines different from subjects with latent or absent MTrPs. [8]"

What I wanted to ask you guys before I talk to the doctor - The nerve block or a possible ablation may take care of the nerves, if that what's causing the pain, but what should be done with the muscle pain, or Will muscle pain go away if the nerve block works? If not, can they do trigger point injections along with nerve blocks? Should I try manual myofascial release during the nerve blocks. I'm going to the massage therapist tomorrow, Will that cause a problem while the nerve blocks are being done. You always think of questions after you leave and even if you have questions it's hard to get them to answer - your on your tummy with your face in a hole and nobody listens to you - I could hear the doctors talk and tried but no luck.

I want to be more prepared before I see the doctor again and will request to see him or his "fellow" before the injection.

Well thanks for any advice, not sure I make a lot of sense. Sandy