Helpful Hints for using Trigger Point Therapy
Dec 012017When using trigger point therapy to stop your gout attack, hopefully at stage-1, you should keep a few “hints” in mind. It isn't easy getting into trigger point therapy or finding trigger points, so here are a few helpful hints:
Helpful Hint-1:
When you definitely find a trigger point, mark that spot with a sharpie; you will be revisiting and massaging that spot many, many times before the gout attack is over. You will probably have a half-dozen trigger points marked that you need to continuously work (in stage-1), many more in stage-3. It is not easy to find a trigger point, so marking it allows you to get right to it instead of wasting time trying to find it every time (and probably losing it, which will increase your pain). It helps to have a sharpie in the bathroom to remark the spots faded by a shower.
Helpful Hint-2:
When massaging extremely painful trigger points (and some will be) I have found it helpful to just put enough pressure on it that is tolerable (5 out of 10 pain level) and massage with small circular motions for about 20-30 seconds. Then wait for about 20-30 seconds and massage it again. Each time you do this the massaging pain will become less and less. Keep doing this until the massaging pain is gone (or dull); you are then done with that session. If the initial massaging pain is close to a 10, you will need to do many sessions that day until the massaging pain is gone, hopefully along with that gouty joint pain.
Helpful Hint-3:
Don't think that after you eliminate a joint pain through trigger point massage that you are done with it. Trigger points come back because of the inflammation and your unnatural walking/sitting/etc., while in pain. By massaging it you have removed that 1-2 pain level trigger point in stage-1, but it will progress to a stage-2 or stage-3 if not continuously attended to until your entire attack is over. By massaging ALL of your trigger points every day, as many times as you can, you can avoid re-triggering them. Also, the more you massage them the faster you will get over the attack. Fortunately, there is an end to the pain and swelling, but only if you are diligent and quell the attack as soon as possible. Why be in pain for many, many weeks when you can eliminate it in minutes or hours (stage-1) or eliminate it in days (stage-2) before it gets to an intolerable stage-3.
Helpful Hint-4:
Gout attacks go from a stage-1 to stage-2 to stage-3 to stage-2 to stage-1 before the attack is over. It is best to continue with stage-1 treatment (massaging known trigger points) for a few days or a week after ALL of the pain and swelling is gone. This will assure you that you don't automatically transition into another gout attack because the present one isn't fully eliminated.
Helpful Hint-5:
Some of the nastiest trigger points occur on the bottom of your foot, especially if you are in stage-3. There is though a simple way to deal with of them. Roll a golf ball under your foot, all over, and when you reach a spot that gives you much pain, you have discovered a trigger point. Put pressure on that trigger point by pressing your foot down for 20-30 seconds and then let up for another 20-30 seconds. Repeat until that trigger point is painless or dull. Then roll the golf ball around until you find another trigger point and massage it the same way. Do this until all of the trigger points on the bottom of your foot are eliminated. When in stage-3, it is very difficult to get a decent night’s sleep if you don’t eliminate the trigger points on the bottom of your foot. Of course, it also helps to eliminate your other trigger points (the ones you marked with a sharpie) before going to bed. And a good night’s sleep helps you to recover more quickly. To help AVOID gout attacks, use the golf ball under the foot massage monthly, it really does make a difference.
Helpful Hint-6 (drugs):
It is difficult to determine the NSAIDS (ibuprofen, etc.) drug dosage to take to reduce your inflammation. I tried the following: 1) taking the suggested 1-2 tablets—didn't work; 2) taking 4-6 tablets sporadically—worked, but I had severe musty smelling night sweats; 3) took three tablets every 5-6 hours—worked, with no night sweats. After the inflammation went down significantly, the night sweats returned so I reduced to two tablets, which worked fine. I'm not saying that you should overdose, quite the opposite, this is just what works for me, a person who has a high tolerance to drugs. The hint here is to realize that if you take too much of a drug that your body will probably excrete it in night sweats and that you probably need to reduce your dosage.