THE PAIN NEUTRALIZATION TECHNIQUE CAN TURN OFF PAIN FROM TRIGGER POINTS INSTANTLY USING NEUROMUSCULAR REFLEXES
WHAT IS THE PAIN NEUTRALIZATION TECHNIQUE (P.N.T.)?
The pain neutralization technique was developed by Dr. Kaufman of Colorado
How Does It Work?
All muscles in the body have opposing muscles (Flexion and Extension). When one muscle contracts its opposing muscle must relax to facilitate this contraction e.g. triceps (back of the upper arm) contracts when raising a dumbbell above the head and at the same time the biceps relax. Through a built-in reflex mechanism when one muscle contracts your nervous system automatically sends a signal to the opposing muscle (the bicep muscle in this case) initiating a relaxation of that muscle. When you are in pain or have trigger points, the muscles are in a state of contraction and unable to relax. With the P.N.T. technique we cause a trigger point to relax by stimulating the tendon of an opposing muscle while at the same time applying light pressure to the painful area.
Once we find the correct reflex for a trigger point, within seconds, the point will no longer be painful when pressed. Often the patient’s symptoms associated with that trigger point will clear up as well. Sometimes symptoms improve immediately often they resolve over several treatment.
The P.N.T. treatment is completely different from previous methods for treating trigger points e.g. deep tissue massage or myofascial release . The aim of P.N.T, is not to treat trigger points by pressing on them or by using mechanical force to treat the trigger points as do other methods, but uses neurological reflexes to turn them off. When we arrive at the correct reflex the trigger point is turned off within a few seconds. Patients are consistently amazed that tender areas areas are eliminated in seconds and the pain is gone.
What are Trigger Points?
Trigger points are areas of reduced circulation in muscle tissue, more commonly found occurring in the bellies of muscles - very tender when pressed or touched. The trigger points most commonly feel like a slight swellings, bands or nodules in the muscle tissue
which cause or aggravate many types of pain disorders.
Conditions that can be helped by P.N.T
Lower back pain,
Sciatica,
Headaches,
Migraine,
TMJ syndrome ,
Neck pain,
Frozen shoulder,
Some forms of abdominal pain,
Post-surgical pain,
Chronic pelvic pain, etc.
An active trigger point produces pain even when there has been no obvious damage to the muscle from injury. If you have to apply pressure to the point to make it hurt they are know as “latent” trigger points. Most trigger points are latent trigger points which are only painful when pressure is applied to them. The trigger points have predictable locations that coincide with the location of acupuncture points. A trigger point can be located in a muscle, ligament, tendon, area of scar tissue fascia or at the connection of the muscle or ligament to a bony prominence that is excessively tender to pressure compared to the surrounding tissue.
Trigger points can be acute or chronic . Acute trigger points tend to resolve very quickly and can be treated easily with regular massage. Chronic trigger points are the culprits often responsible for referred pain or pain at a distant location i.e. trigger point in the shoulder causes pain down the arm and up into the head. These chronic trigger points lead to reduced blood to the tissue leading to lack of nutrition to the tissue. These changes cause the trigger point to feel like a knot because of increased fluid, fat and hardening of the muscle tissue in the area.
Identifying these trigger points is an essential part of an initial examination before neutralizing the trigger points. Once the trigger points have been released pain symptoms often resolve. The majority of trigger points will improve after each treatment and be undetectable after three to five visits. Not all pain is due to trigger points; eliminating trigger points will often, but not always, eliminate symptoms.
Many patients do things that perpetuate their own trigger points by:
Snapping their own neck
Sleeping face down
Falling asleep when sitting and watching TV ( head drops and over stretches the neck)
Holding a cell phone or regular phone between their ear and their shoulder.
Carrying purses with the strap over the shoulder.
To find out more and to schedule a complimentary trigger point evaluation call (609) 924-3733.
PATIENT TESTIMONIALS: ( all testimonials on file in my office)
“Before I came to Paul, I was anticipating a future full of pain, and difficulty even doing everyday activities. I began seeing Paul for severe shoulder pain, tendonitis in my right thumb, and long time right hip, thigh and knee pain along with pain in both feet that was severe enough to put me in a wheel chair several times in the past. After several weeks of treatment my chronic exhaustion was gone, my brain felt clearer that it had in several years. The pain in my shoulder which had persisted for four years went away. When Paul said that he would use the pain elimination technique on my hip and thigh and then on my feet I was skeptical. I had been living with pain for at least eight years. And the pain in my feet longer than that. He worked on on my thigh that first day and found every painful spot. He applied pressure both on my thigh and hip and amazingly the pain was gone. I could actually apply pressure to the muscle, without triggering the pain. I have been treated by a family practice physician, an orthopedic surgeon, a podiatrist, and a rheumatologist. None have been able to help. He next treated my feel with this technique with this technique, and even with my faith in acupuncture and alternative medicine, I was still skeptical that anything could ever help with the pain in my right foot. Over several weeks, applying this technique the pain began to go away. I have had years of treatment for my feel including surgery twice, physical therapy. NSAID drugs, steroid injections, and pain medication and none helped.
Everytime I walk down a corridor, or walk in a park, I feel so lucky to have found someone who understood my physical problems and knew how to treat them. I feel like I have gotten by life and health back from the inside out” Helen M.
“The new technique used by Paul Kelly to ease the pain in my neck and shoulders and siffness in my neck has been nothing short of miraculous. With each treatment I experienced more mobility in my neck and was able to turn my head in all directions with no pain and the pain in my shoulders is gone. I have found these treatments to be very effective in eliminating pain and discomfort and recommend them without hesitation to anyone who suffers with shoulder and neck issues.” Janet B.
“ I have had a constant headache since Thanksgiving of 07 . My neurologist said that it would eventually go away. I went to see Paul on Jan. 17th and told him about my headache. He performed a new acupressure technique called P.N.T. on me and after one hour the headache went away. This was the first time that I had been headache free in four months. : Ed. E.
“ My first treatment with the P.N.T. my head and neck area actually felt more elongated and relaxed. I did not know my neck was capable of being able to turn all the way to the right and the left. I am now once again able to turn my right side of my neck to see when I am backing up my car.” Nancy O.
“One morning I aoke with back pain and muscle spasms – it hurt to sit and move. A friend drove me down to Princeton Acupuncture . As part of the treatment Paul followed the Pain Neutralization Treatment protocol. It greatly diminished the pain and the muscle spasms were gone! After the treatment I was able to sit and easily get up from a chair and move around. It felt like a miracle. I am very grateful to Paul for knowing and using the pain neutralization technique. “ Joan K.
