'Trigger points' certainly account for some muscular pain, but not all. Recently I treated a patient who had damaged his back lifting some rocks and had to return to work in two days time. This was an acute injury and when I palpate his lower back I found a deep muscle that felt ropey and had very tender points. When the muscle was treated, it ‘twitched’ and his pain disappeared immediately and he returned to work. Unfortunately not all backs respond in this way. In this case he was a young, fit man with a very recent injury and the problem was isolated to one deep gluteal muscle.
As a rule, rather than the exception, most people come to have acupuncture treatment several weeks or months after their problem began. Often people wait and hope that their pain will go away before seeking treatment. When the injury becomes chronic then many more muscles are affected. There is often a gradual stiffening and reduction in movement. Often this isn't problematic until it affects everyday activities or when the person can no longer adapt to the injury. In these cases, treatment is going to be gradual and may take weeks or even months. I do however aim for an improvement after every session and as long as the patient can feel this, then I find that the number of treatments needed for recovery is not so much a concern.
(published with permission in writing from:http://www.gloucesteracupuncture.co.uk)
