Healing Journeys with Suzie Daggett
In America, chronic pain affects millions of people. It is a type of pain that does not go away as opposed to acute pain, which is short-term. There are no easy answers for finding relief or managing pain. The sufferer may have to experiment with many different modalities, drugs, exercise, life style changes, mind-body medicine to find an avenue that works for them. Two expert pain relief practitioners, John Seivert and Jim Saccomanno talk about chronic pain treatments from different points of treatment. John is a Physical Therapist, and a Fellow with American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists. Jim is a Certified Massage Therapist who has found Trigger Point Therapy to be especially effective in relieving chronic pain. I asked them both to address how their therapy helps restore function to help with chronic pain.
John: I am a “Manual Therapist” specializing in the management of chronic pain. A manual therapist is a highly-trained Physical Therapist who employs a detailed evaluation and a vast array of hands-on treatment techniques to optimize recovery and rehabilitation. Manual therapists use evidence-based information to guide them in the healing process. I will educate the patient (correct faulty postures, improve body mechanics and help improve poor movement patterns that continue to cause micro-trauma), teach specific exercises (improve strength, provide better muscle length, stabilize the spine or restore spinal mobility) and use other PT modalities and techniques to aid a patient in their recovery. It all starts with a very lengthy assessment including a detailed interview and a physical exam. This includes assessing the patients posture in many positions. Range of Motion (ROM) of the problem area(s) is then examined for available range, quality of movement and willingness to move in or out of pain. An assessment of the nervous systems and the patient’s muscles for proper length and strength is made. Finally, I examine the spinal joints and other possible pain sensitive structures through a series of deep palpations of the spine. After this exam – I come up with a “PT musculoskeletal diagnosis” and put a plan into effect. My plan will involve a combination of manual therapy, specific exercises that I teach the patient to perform regularly to improve their function and possibly recommend the patient to make some changes in their work habits. This usually helps eliminate poor movements / postures that may be contributing to their overall dysfunction. If I can eliminate the micro-trauma that is occurring in the patients’ body, I have a better chance of helping the person achieve relief. Education is the cornerstone of manual therapy. If I can help the patient achieve some symptom relief through teaching them how to sit, stand, bend, lift and carry objects and participate in sports or daily activities without pain – together, we have achieved success.
John Seivert, can be reached at Seivert Physical Therapy in Grass Valley, 530-272-7306
Jim: I have been practicing for 28 years and have found Trigger Point Therapy to be especially effective in not only relieving but preventing chronic pain as well. Having said that, let me define Trigger Point Therapy. Trigger points are hypersensitive areas within muscles that become knotted, inelastic, and unable to relax. People often want to know what the difference is between Trigger Point Therapy and therapeutic massage. Massage is a remarkable tool for coping with stress and becoming aware of areas where you store tension. Massage provides relief and helps a person to feel where they hold tension. Trigger point therapy is a method of diagnostic and therapeutic value because it helps to identify and relieve the causative origin of the pain and discomfort. The most abundant tissue in the human body is skeletal muscle. More than 600 muscles contract and relax to ensure smooth functioning of the skeletal framework. When muscles are unhealthy or damaged, movement may be uncomfortable and the muscles tender to the touch. Damage is caused by many factors, including strain, overuse, repetitive movements, poor nutrition, emotional distress, bad posture, trauma and/or lack of regular exercise. All dysfunction of the muscular-skeletal system requires an overall appreciation as to the causative factors. Many times a person’s complaint is not the source of their injury. More often than not, the active trigger points (the knotted, inelastic muscles) could be located away from the source of complaint. For example, a patient may be experiencing sharp pain in the upper back (pain in the rhomboids) but the origin could be coming from the scalene muscles in the front of the neck. In this case, working in both areas provides more thorough relief. Once an active trigger point is located, I slowly separate the muscle fibers by applying pressure in a variety of ways using my fingers, knuckles, and elbows. This allows the muscle tissue to relax into the technique avoiding excessive pain and muscle guarding. An important key to treating trigger points is to lengthen the muscle fibers that are shortened by the trigger point mechanism. Once a release has been achieved, I follow through with a gentle stretching motion to elongate the treated muscle. Often I send a client home with a set of personalized exercises to help maintain the release achieved.
Jim Saccomanno, can be reached at his office in Grass Valley, 530-272-2630.
Healing Journeys is a column written by Suzie Daggett for the Grass Valley Union newspaper. Suzie interviews a variety of health practitioners most Fridays in the Wellness section. Click here to read past articles prior to 2005. Enter "Suzie Daggett" in the search box to get listing of all articles. |
