Arthritis trigger point

nanny2507
nanny2507 Member Posts: 23
edited 28. Nov 2018, 07:41 in Living with Arthritis archive
I have a hard lump on my right hand on the palm almost at the mid point between my thumb and index finger. my consultant says this is a trigger point...what is this?.obviously i know what it is (a hard lump) but what does this mean to me. does it serve a purpose?

Comments

  • johnnyk32uk
    johnnyk32uk Member Posts: 41
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi,

    I think trigger points are muscle knots, think there are ways to help get rid of them, if you google this you should find out more or maybe someone on here has more knowledge than I have.

    Hope that helps a bit, good luck.

    Cheers,
    John
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,764
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Frankly, after about 57 years of RA and several years on this forum, I'd never heard of trigger points. I had a google and I'm in agreement with John. It seems to be a muscle thing and, at a guess, not related to arthritis at all.

    If you want to google it do stick with nhs sites. I've long since learned that it's a medical wild west out there with loads of scary (and wrong) information unless we stick with reputable sites.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • daffy2
    daffy2 Member Posts: 1,636
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    It is a muscle thing. This Wiki entry gives more info and the controversy that exists.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myofascial_trigger_point
    The part that muscle problems play in the wider context of pain is an area that needs more work but the commercial bandwaggon created by this particular buzz word doesn't help in that process. In fact it can do the opposite by causing the medics to dismiss it completely(baby/bathwater).
    When I was still able to have treatment for problems arising from scoliosis, it was all soft tissue manipulation to deal with muscle knots(which caused pain) resulting from being lopsided - but that was way before it all became trendy!
    Has your consultant made any suggestions as to how to deal with it?
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I have exactly the same thing, at my last rheumatology appointment I showed it to the nurse who said it was fluid which could be drained. As she was ushering me out of the door I could not be bothered to argue the toss: in my experience lumps caused by fluid can be squished and squashed, and can be burst if one fiddles enough (I am a fiddler :wink: ). This is a lump like a dried pea, it won't flatten or move, it's like a ganglion; I can nearly close my fingers behind it. I don't know what it is but as it's doing nothing and not hurting I forget it's there. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben

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