Methods are provided for intramuscular needle diagnosis and treatment of muscle pain that is believed to be the result of sympathetically mediated spindle spasm. Two simultaneous needle EMG needle recordings are used to establish the presence of and magnitude of the "trigger points" in painful muscle. The abnormal muscle activity so identified can then be treated by blocking the sympathetic activation muscle blocker or other agent that would have the same effect of inhibiting the abnormal muscle activity.
Methods are provided for intramuscular needle diagnosis and treatment of muscle pain that is the result of sympathetically mediated spindle spasm. Two simultaneous needle EMG needle recordings are used to establish the presence of and magnitude of the "trigger points" in painful muscle. The abnormal muscle activity so identified is then treated by blocking the sympathetic activation of the muscle with an agent that inhibits sympathetic transmission.
The present invention discloses a novel compound and method for the treatment of inflammatory autoimmune diseases, for example, rheumatoid arthritis, using .alpha.-adrenergic antagonists and .beta.-adrenergic agonists in combination. Treatment of animals, namely humans, with an .alpha.-adrenergic antagonist, preferably, phentolamine, and a .beta.-adrenergic agonist, preferably terbutaline, in combination can significantly suppress the joint destruction and inflammation due to disease in these animals.
A multi electrode and needle injection device for identifying and treating muscle pain using two simultaneous electrode EMG recordings to locate an active trigger point. The two electrodes are displaced so that one electrode detects EMG activity at the trigger point and the other detects EMG activity adjacent to the trigger point, within the same muscle. The combination of the electrodes with a drug delivery system allows the user to inject a medication locally at the trigger point to block the trigger point activity and reduce or eliminate muscle pain. The electrodes are on a hypodermic needle. The needle is used to both facilitate the location of the trigger points, and for treatment, by injecting a drug into the trigger points.
