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If you experience widespread pain and body aches in different areas without a clear cause, fibromyalgia might be the reason. Fibromyalgia tender points are specific spots on the body that are highly sensitive to pressure and have long been considered a hallmark of fibromyalgia. These points are the primary source of diagnosis.
ANF Therapy®️ is an advanced treatment approach to manage fibromyalgia. It utilises small frequency-charged ANF Devices that are applied to different parts of your body. This therapy not only treats the symptoms but also aims to the root cause of the disease.
In this blog, we will look into fibromyalgia tender points and how ANF Therapy®️ helps manage it.
What Are Fibromyalgia Tender Points?
Tender points act as pain hotspots in your body, triggering discomfort whenever touched. They aren’t randomly scattered but are found in specific locations, typically appearing in pairs on both sides of the body. Unlike trigger points, which can send pain to other areas, fibromyalgia tender points only hurt when pressed.
In the past, these tender points were considered the primary diagnosis for fibromyalgia. If you have 11 out of 18 of these tender points, you have fibromyalgia. However, nowadays, your ANF Therapists not only look into these tender points but also look at widespread pain and other symptoms associated with fibromyalgia.
However, these tender spots are still important because they show how fibromyalgia affects pain processing in the body.
What is the location of fibromyalgia tender points?
There are about 18 fibromyalgia tender points distributed symmetrically in your body. These are found in nine pairs across your body and on both sides. Here is the location of these tender points.
1. Neck (Lower Cervical Region)
In neck areas, these tender points are located in the following areas:
-The base of the neck just above the collarbone where the skull meets the neck
-Tender to touch, causing pain when pressed.
2. Shoulder Blades (Trapezius Muscle)
At the shoulder, these points are located on the upper trapezius muscle. These points cause radiating pain to your shoulder when pressed and make lifting objects difficult for you.
3- Front of your shoulder (supraspinatus muscle)
These points are also located on the front of your shoulder on both sides and just above your shoulder blade near the spine. These points cause pain when pressed and make it difficult for you to lift the object.
4. Elbows (Lateral Epicondyle)
In the elbow, tender points are located on its outer parts. Pressure on these points causes sharp pain radiating down to the arm.
5. Lower Back (Gluteal Region)
In the gluteal region, these points are found in the upper buttocks. Pressure on these causes severe pain and makes it difficult to sit properly.
6. Hips (Greater Trochanter)
At hips these points are located on the outer part of your hip. Pressure on these areas makes it difficult to sleep on the affected side.
7. Knees (Medial Fat Pad)
In the knee, they are located just inside your knee joint, making your walking and bending painful.
8. Chest (Second Rib)
These tender points are also located in your chest just below your collarbone near the sternum. This pain can mimic your heart-related chest pain.
9. Base of the Skull (Occiput)
In the skull, these points are located at the back of your head near the base of the skull. Pressure on these areas can cause severe headaches and neck pain.
These points don’t indicate damage or inflammation. They are just overly sensitive to pain.
Why Do These Tender Points Hurt?
A question may arise: When there is nothing wrong with these points, no injury, damage, or swelling, then why do these points hurt so much?
The pain in these tender points is not due to inflammation or tissue damage but rather an altered nervous system response. Fibromyalgia is considered a central sensitisation disorder that means your brain and spinal cord overreact to pain signals.
Your body acts as an alarm. This alarm goes off when there is inflammation in your body. But in the case of fibromyalgia, this alarm becomes highly sensitive to touch. Even a small touch can trigger too much pain in your body.
There are several factors contributing to this hypersensitivity. These are:
- Abnormal pain processing in which your nervous system amplifies the pain signals
- Changes in neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine also affect your pain perception
- Poor sleep also exaggerates the pain sensitivity
- Emotional and physical stress can amplify symptoms.
Do Tender Points Still Matter for Diagnosis?
Before 2010, doctors were heavily dependent on these tender points to diagnose fibromyalgia. However, now they are not as much used as before. However, the presence of these tender points supports your diagnosis. Because fibromyalgia is more than just these tender points. It also causes:
- Chronic fatigue
- Brain fog
- Sleep disturbances (insomnia)
- Mood disturbance
So now, diagnosis is based on widespread pain and other symptoms rather than just counting tender points. But that doesn’t mean tender points don’t matter—they still help explain why fibromyalgia pain feels so different from other types of pain.
How Can You Manage Tender Point Pain with ANF Therapy®️?
There is nothing to worry about these tender points of pain. ANF Therapy®️ is the best solution for you if you are looking for a drug-free approach to treating your fibromyalgia. There are also other ways to calm your nervous system, but not as much better and quicker than ANF Therapy®️.
Application of ANF Devices:
Dr. Mikel H-G Hoff has invented ANF Devices to manage fibromyalgia and associated symptoms. This therapy utilises small frequency-charged ANF Devices that are applied to the affected areas of your body. These devices aim to reduce the inflammation in your body and oxidative stress, release these tender points, and make your nervous system less sensitive to pain stimuli by strengthening your nerves, increasing blood flow to the affected areas and providing mental support.
Expected outcome:
According to Dr. Mikel H-G Hoff, most patients experience quick relief from their symptoms soon after applying ANF Devices in the first session. However, the symptoms vary from person to person, depending on the severity of the disease.
Start your journey with ANF Therapy®️:
ANF Therapy®️ is the newest treatment for managing fibromyalgia and relieving its tender points. If you are suffering from fibromyalgia and experiencing too much pain if someone touches a certain area of your body, ANF Therapy®️ may be the best choice for you. Consult an ANF Practitioner or find an ANF Therapist at www.anftherapy.com/find-clinic to start your treatment with ANF Therapy®️ today!
If you’re a healthcare practitioner and want to enhance your clinical skills with frequency medicine, learn more about the ANF Therapy®️ and ANF Clinical education program by visiting www.anfacademy.com.
Other ways to manage fibromyalgia tender points:
There are other ways to manage fibromyalgia tender points, but they are not as effective as ANF Therapy®️. These include the following:
1-Gentle Movement and Exercise
Stretching, yoga, light massage, and exercise can also help release your tender points.
2-Lifestyle modifications
Better sleep habits (because bad sleep causes more pain), stress management, and incorporating an anti-inflammatory diet can also help you manage these tender points.
About ANF Therapy®️
ANF Therapy®️ uses circular ANF Devices, which are applied directly on the skin after palpation and assessment by a trained ANF Therapist following the ANF Therapy®️ Method, Patented Model no. U202030252, ES1259974.
The ANF Therapy®️ purpose is the alleviation of injury and pain within minutes.
Our aim is that the patient experiences a reduction of pain and swelling, an increase in range of motion, and an improvement in quality of life related to health. Non-transdermal, non-invasive device, NO needles or chemicals are used.
Do you need help with your health issues? Have you been experiencing symptoms of fibromyalgia?
Contact us, and we will explain how we can help you!
