Causes

• Studies by the Mayo Clinic show that women and middle-aged adults are more likely to experience myofascial pain and that it is usually caused by overuse of a muscle or an injury. It is exacerbated by stress and anxiety.
  
  

Treatments

• The conventional treatments for myofascial pain include physical therapy, massage, trigger injections (injecting painkillers into the trigger point--also called "needling") and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen. Ask your therapist about learning myofascial releases that you can do yourself to relieve muscle tension. Simple stretching exercises can help. You also can try to determine and treat the cause of ongoing pain: poor posture or stress, for example.
  
  

Complementary Treatment

• Acupuncture, acupressure, biofeedback, gentle yoga, herbal supplements and massage may offer relief. You also should maintain good nutrition, proper hydration and a gentle exercise regimen. Although it can be difficult for those in pain to have the motivation to exercise, studies by the University of Wisconsin show that it helps dramatically with the persistent pain of this disorder.
  
  

Sleep Quality

• According to a study in the Oxford Journal on Rheumatology, one of the major problems with chronic pain is difficulty in getting quality sleep. Deep pain can make sleep all but impossible and can become a vicious cycle: You can't sleep because of pain, and your pain is worse because you are sleep-deprived. Try to keep a strict sleep schedule of going to bed at the same time every night and getting up at the same time every morning, weekends included.
  
  If you can't fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something nonstimulating, such as reading or knitting. If your sleep quality worsens, talk to your doctor about sleep medications.
  
  

Medications

• Chronic pain differs from acute pain, so the medication options differ, too. Acute pain (like a toothache) may require a strong narcotic to deal with the immediate pain until you can get to the dentist. Chronic pain, however, should not be treated with a narcotic because it is an ongoing disease. Narcotic drugs are addictive and are not for long-term pain.
  
  In some instances, according to the University of Chicago, antidepressants may provide relief. Talk to your doctor to see if they, or another medication, are right for your situation.