Part 2: CUTV News Radio spotlights Nancy Shaw of Myofascial Pain Treatment

Springfield, VA – Nancy Shaw is a myofascial trigger point therapist and the founder of the Myofascial Pain Treatment Center, where she’s offered simple changes to help anyone end their chronic pain since 1981.

Myofascial trigger point pain syndrome is a disorder in which ischemic compression is applied on specifically identified sensitive points in the muscles causing referred pain in seemingly unrelated body parts. According to Shaw, the muscles being taught to develop incorrect muscle memories is the underlying cause of most chronic pain.

We use our muscles every day but we do very little that takes the tension out, says Shaw. Instead, if a muscle gets tight, instead of stretching and returning that muscle to free range of motion, we accommodate and adapt. If you can't turn your head to see behind you, you turn your whole body. If you can't reach back and put your arm in a coat sleeve, you put that arm in first. Over time, these adaptations develop a false muscle memory.

“Muscles will do whatever you teach them. If you teach them the wrong thing, you'll wind up in pain,” says Shaw. “If you teach the muscles to keep function in full range of motion, you can do anything you want.”

“It's a totally different approach. It's a functional approach because function is how we live,” says Shaw. “75% of getting you better and out of pain is eliminating and identifying those perpetuating factors. 25% is teaching the muscles specifically directed stretch movements to establish new muscle memory.”

For more information on Myofascial Pain Treatment Center, www.nancyshawclinicandinstitute.com