Trigger Point Therapy
Muscles are the most frequently injured tissues of the body.
Your muscular system is the largest organ system in your body and is the body tissue most likely to be injured by the activities of daily life. Pain caused by muscle dysfunction is very common. Unfortunately, modern medicine ignores muscles as a source of pain.
When we think of muscle pain, we usually think of injuries such as muscle strains and spasms. But there is a much more common muscle injury that everyone has suffered from. It is called a trigger point.
What is a trigger point?
A trigger point is a small area of muscle that remains tightly contracted all the time, even when the rest of the muscle itself is relaxed. This small area of tight muscle feels like a knot. When you say that you have “muscle knots,” you are actually talking about trigger points. Trigger points can cause far more pain th
an most people believe is possible.
Letter A: normal muscle fiber.
Letter B: Trigger Point.
Letter C: stretched muscle at the end of the trigger point.
In addition to causing pain, trigger points in a muscle effects its function in the following ways;
• It weakens the muscle by preventing a strong contraction.
• It prevents the muscle from completely relaxing.
• It increases muscle tension.
• It increases the likelihood that the muscle will spasm.
What causes trigger points?
In general, any activity or posture that overloads a muscle can cause trigger points to develop in that muscle. Some examples of muscular overload include:
- Traumatic Injury (such as falls, automobile accidents, etc)
- Heavy Lifting (especially lifting and twisting)
- Beginning a New Exercise Program
- Repetitive Tasks (such as typing or other job related activities)
- Poor posture or holding static postures for long periods
- Stress or Emotionally related muscle tension.
- Poor body mechanics due to injury
Referred Pain
Trigger points frequently effect the nervous system by producing referred pain. The term referred pain describes pain that is produced in one area and experienced in another.
The most insidious thing about trigger points is the way they can refer pain - always in a predictable pattern, but most doctors don't know these patterns. The drawing to the right illustrates the pain referral pattern for the gluteus minimus muscle. The back x's show the location of the trigger points and the red areas show where the pain is felt. When dealing with trigger point pain, where you hurt is often a considerable distance from where the actual cause is located.
What is the best way to release trigger points?
One of the easiest and most effective is simple pressure applied to the trigger point itself. Pressure release therapy produces a mild “good” type of pain that both hurts and feels good at the same time.
We also use other specialized treatment methods to help release trigger points.