Pressure point therapy and fibromyalgia

[expatfibro]

A GP in Singapore referred me to a neurologist who prescribed various drugs that sent me mildly insane but had no effect on the symptoms. He then suggested myofascial trigger point therapy. Hurt like hell but after six treatments all the symptoms of fibromyalgia disappeared for 3 years. Back in the UK symptoms are returning but I find that such highly effective therapy is not available on the NHS. Has anyone had trigger point therapy in London?

[Hidden]

I have trigger point injections every three months that help greatly but I am about 130 miles away from London

VG x

[expatfibro in reply to Hidden]

Interesting - my treatment was purely manipulation, rather like deep tissue massage. No injections involved.

[Hidden]

I had those first and they lasted a few days a week at most... These injections do actually last for me....my GP referred me to my local pain clinic and they recommended I try them and they are great

[expatfibro in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, I will. I am awaiting an appointment at the hospital pain clinic but this being the NHS it may prove to be a long wait! Professor of rheumatology implores me to wait for the pain management specialist before trying anything else but she isn't the one with the pain and attendant symptoms that completely immobolise me when I suffer a flare up

[jom277]

I have trigger point therapy but I live in the midlands. I have mine in conjunction with Thai yoga massage and this really helps get into the muscles. Due to the Easter holidays, I have not been for 3 weeks and am really feeling it as have not been for 3 weeks.

[expatfibro in reply to jom277]

Thanks for the input. Do your symptoms disappear for long periods or must you have therapy continuously to keep pain and stiffness away? I had six sessions in Singapore and the symptoms disappeared completely for three years. They have just returned with a vengeance. GP and rheumatology consultant in UK prescribe various drugs which seem to have no effect. I go into remission for a couple of weeks followed by several days of virtually total immobility and intense pain

[jom277 in reply to expatfibro]

I have had problems on and off for years now, so I have to keep on having them. My. Condition really deteriorated 3 years ago but before that, I would have neck manipulation from physios, who could hold it at bay for a couple of years but they no longer do this in the NHS and chiropractic therapy just made it worse

[LindseyMid]

You would probably need to go private for good MFR in the UK. A few NHS physios are trained in direct trigger point release but I haven't come across any trained in the more widespread (and less painful) MFR techniques.

[expatfibro]

Thanks I will look unto it

[expatfibro]

Fun weekend. At 0200 on Sunday morning I had perhaps the most severe attack of fibromyalgia yet. So much pain and stiffness of the joints that I was unable to move, much less get dressed and go to seek help. At 0215 I called 111, the number for non-life threatening medical emergencies. Having heard my symptoms they told me to hang up and call 999. That I did at 0217. Ambulance arrived at 0340 (this was Saturday night in Notting Hill. They were kinda busy) and we got to the emergency room at 0400. I was allowed to choose to be taken to the hospital where my records are held. I was almost immediately admitted to a cubicle where blood was drawn, blood pressure taken (four times) and an ECG performed. At 0900 I finally saw an overworked doctor who was incredibly helpful, sympathetic and understanding but admitted that there was nothing he could do except give me more pain killers. He also said that if there was a recurrence of such severity I should again dial 999 and he would administer morphine while arranging an immediate consultation with a rheumatologist (my next scheduled appointment is May 31 so that would be a result in itself. Not so sure about getting started on morphine for pain control...).

Of course, by this stage I had been up for seven hours so the symptoms had begun to fade of their own volition as they always do several hours after awakening. Conclusion? Nothing traditional medicine can do for what ails me so it is again time for non-traditional remedies in the form of myofascial trigger point therapy that worked so well in Singapore. And I remain singularly impressed by the NHS despite the wait. They would have seen me much earlier had fibromyalgia been regarded as life-threatening as opposed to merely life-destroying.