Does trigger point treatment work for a stiff neck?

Doctor's Answer

My answer, to your question in brief is that it’s worth a shot (pun not intended).

From your details, you clearly fall into what doctors term “expert patients”. Ie. you’ve done a significant amount of online reading into your problem, and possible solutions. Not to mention, sought the advice of multiple specialists.

So please take my online reply for what it is – an extremely limited internet source (without the requisite examination, investigation results, specialist opinions and detailed questioning that a doctor seeing you in person would have).

The problem as I see it, is that your set of signs and symptoms is rather non-specific – Dizziness, stiffness, tinnitus and pain by themselves often have no clear cause.

They can each be a symptom of multiple disease, and together also don’t fit any one pattern for a particular condition (taking into account that you’ve already had most of them ruled out), especially in healthy patients.

This short post on “organic” vs “non-organic” disease (or functional symptoms) will further explain what I’m referencing, and why it can be difficult for patients such as yourself to find a satisfactory diagnosis and treatment.

I appreciate that it must be rather frustrating to be told “nothing’s wrong” after yet another imaging scan/blood test/specialist consult.

When “organic disease causes” are all ruled out, what’s left is often pesky diagnoses like musculoskeletal pain, nerve impingement, behavioural/functional/mental health type problems eg. somatic syndrome disorder – all of which can be difficult to treat.

I am thinking of getting treatment for these trigger points. I found a pain specialist who has expertise in this area of trigger points treatment. But I would like to have some views from the doctors here about trigger points and my conditions.

This wiki write-up on trigger points is a pretty good summary on the current state of things.

Do note that there are various trigger point treatments available, as covered under the management section of this other write-up.

From a scientific point of view, 2 things stand out:

  1. A review of previous studies has shown that treatment can be effective for some patients, but there needs to be larger studies to confirm findings.
  2. There are no reliable physical exams to diagnose the condition.

Putting 2 and 2 together, this means that empirical treatment may be worthwhile – ie as a doctor, I MAY NOT KNOW for sure if you have this problem, but I may give you treatment anyway since it’s been shown to be helpful in other patients with similar symptoms as yourself.

My final 2 cents, if the trigger point treatment fails, is that it may help to seek the advise of a rheumatologist. My rationale is that there are some uncommon autoimmune conditions that can cause weakness and stiffness. I wouldn’t be surprised if he found nothing wrong however, and referred you back to the pain doctor.

TLDR:

  1. Yes, I think trigger point treatment is worth a shot, if I were in your shoes. In Singapore, trigger point treatment is offered by pain doctors (usually anaesthetists) and Sport Medicine doctors.
  2. It may be worth consulting Rheumatology – but see what your Pain doctor says first.

Cheers

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