Calman's case

[calman]

I'd like to know how long it generally takes others to get rid of a trigger point. I have one particular trigger point that I work rectally. It is about 3 inches up, probably in the obturator, levator or piriformis attachment. I have worked it every day for the past month and it has improved only minimally.

How do you all work your internal trigger points?

[neue01]

I've had trigger points release with in days and never return while I've had others take months. It depends on the TP and how severe it is. For me I have largely had one area in particular that has taken 6 months or so of continual release and loosening up. I still work on this area today and It gradually gets better and more limber. It takes a lot of time because your muscles revert back to their tight positions. For me it feels like the trigger point itself is largely gone but the muscles contract and tighten back up a lot. I have to massage them out and loosen the area up every morning as a precautionary measure. If I let it congest up again and went back to my old habits my feeling is this area would form a hard band again and develop a trigger point all over again. This has been the longest I've had to work on an area. most of the others released with in a week and then took 2 weeks of maintenance and then never came back. This one is the mother ship and center of my problems, it is proving to take a lot more PT work and relaxation to dismantle. Hope that helps.

[carld]

Very tough question...It all depends, really on how tight the muscles are etc...I feel if you work on muscles every day, it becomes counter productive...You need to rest those areas. Everyone is different, that's what is so frustrating about our syndrome...

[calman]

Can someone point me to the location of trigger points that correspond with hyper-sensitive (itching, burning) scrotum skin that is more towards the front of the body than the back? What should I be working on? Also, the tissue is more sensitive towards the center than the sides?

[webslave]

May also be jock itch. Use an antifungal cream, loose underwear and talcum powder (to keep area dry) as well.

[calman]

It is definitely not jock itch. Other ideas?

[webslave]

The symptoms of Jock Itch are reddened, sensitive and sometimes itchy skin under penis and on testicles. I'm interested to know how you have excluded this diagnosis? In addition, many women have candida living commensally in their vaginas. If you are not scrupulous about washing and drying after intercourse you can also get a candidal skin infection there, if you are susceptible.

[calman]

Not jock itch because it would never be present in the morning. It would start in the afternoon and get worse towards evening, then go away. Tracked it to the quadratus lumborum. Wise's HITP says QL can cause testicle pain. Think that sitting aggravates QL which aggravates testicles which causes redness and itching on scrotum tissue. Treating QL helped significantly. Superficial trigger points in the lateral QLs hurt like he**. I had to follow TP treatment with a stretch to get mileage out of it.
I know what jock itch is and this wasn't it.

[calman]

Would some of you explain how to tell the difference (internally) between coccygeus muscles and the piriformis I have a spot about 4 - 5 inches in that hurts :sad: . I'd like to know what muscle it is.

Also, any specific advice on how to treat it? Does it tend to take a long time to calm down?

[calman]

I have a rectal trigger point about 4 - 5 inches in and when I use the crystal wand on it the pain level is like that of an open sore. It is hyper, hyper irritable. Do you any of you experience that same pain level with any of your trigger points? Most of mine just ache or hurt and do not have this intense level of pain. All comments welcome! Any suggestions on how to treat it?

Also, can someone reply to my post asking whether this is most likely coccygeus or piriformis, etc? See posts in General Discussion.

[neue01]

I would say I've only had the feeling of an open sore or surface level tissue pain once or twice and it was from massaging an area repetitively causing the sort of irritation you would expect. My guess is that this is not a normal sensation and might be a fissure or something. The sensations I normally have are a deep ache, deep burning or pulling sensation. Have you over worked the area or rubbed it raw by chance?

[graeme]

Yes I have, search salt in wound I think thats how I described it and some others when my pt hit the spot

[carld]

I agree with Graeme...I have the same area about 2-4 inches in on the right side that feels like salt on a wound feeling which can also ache...So I feel it's a tight area..but not necessarily a TP...but it could be a TP...every one feels pain differently...

[calman]

I have not overworked it because this is the first time I've been able to reach this spot. I've been working spots out that are towards the outside first. Yes, "salt in the wound" describes it well. It is very, very tender. Ouch! I also feel it refer pain when I touch it. It is by far the most painful spot I or my PT have come across. I'll approach it gently and see what happens.
Thanks for the input.

[scotsman]

I've had that sensation many times. It also really unpins the triggerpoint diagnosis as well - as once you treat it, and go back to the same spot a few days later then it should be gone.