Sam attends Massage and Myotherapy Association National Conference
On May 26th Sam attended a work shop with the amazing Dr Jay Shah, world expert in Chronic Myofascial Pain. Dr Jay Shah investigates clinical pain sciences in order to optimise the evaluation and physical medicine management of neuro-musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction, through use of dry needling, acupuncture and electrical stimulation.
Dr Jay Shah, similarly to Sam, has an interest the dynamic roles that neurogenic inflammation, sensitisation, somato-visceral/viscero-somatic reflexes, spinal facilitation, and limbic system dysfunction together play in initiating and amplifying chronic myofascial pain syndrome. Sam was guided though Dr Shah’s pain science understandings and the beneficial ways in which dry needling can be applied to clients in order to aid in management of their myofascial pain syndrome.
Here is an extract from Dr Jay Shah and other colleague’s article titled, ‘Uncovering the biochemical milieu of myofascial trigger points using in vivo microdialysis: An application of muscle pain concepts to myofascial pain syndrome’:
“Though MPS is a common type of non-articular pain, its pathophysiology is only beginning to be understood due to its enormous complexity. MPS is characterized by the presence of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs), which are defined as hyperirritable nodules located within a taut band of skeletal muscle. MTrPs may be active (spontaneously painful and symptomatic) or latent (non-spontaneously painful). Painful MTrPs activate muscle nociceptors that, upon sustained noxious stimulation, initiate motor and sensory changes in the peripheral and central nervous systems. This process is called sensitization.” (Shah, Elizabeth & Gilliams 2008)