Trigger Point Therapy

Do you suffer from tension headaches, general pain in body parts, myofascial pain syndrome or fibromyalgia? You may have a trigger point.

Trigger point therapy is a bodywork technique that involves the applying of pressure to tender muscle tissue in order to relieve pain and dysfunction in other parts of the body. Sometimes massage and trigger point therapy are performed together.

Trigger point therapy is also called myofascial trigger point therapy. It was developed by Dr. Janet Travel in the United States in the 1940s.

What are Trigger Points?

Trigger points are areas of tenderness in a muscle. There are two basic types of trigger points: active and latent. Active trigger points cause muscular pain and will refer pain and tenderness to another area of the body when pressure is applied. Latent trigger points only exhibit pain when compressed, they do not refer pain to other areas of the body. Latent trigger points are believed to be one of the causes of stiff joints and restricted range of motion of old age. 

Trigger points are very common. They are also referred to as muscle knots. Trigger points differ from acupressure points. Acupressure points are concentrations of energy or blockages of the body's energy pathways. Trigger points are physical phenomena that can be felt by touch. The pain caused by trigger points may be the biggest cause of disability and loss of time in the workplace. Trigger points may be associated with myofascial pain syndromes or fibromyalgia.

What Causes Trigger Points?
Trigger points have several causes. Some common causes of trigger points are: birth trauma, an injury sustained in a fall or accident, poor posture, or overexertion.

What is the Purpose of Trigger Point Therapy?
The purpose of trigger point therapy is to eliminate pain and to re-educate the muscles into pain-free habits. After several treatments, the swelling and stiffness of neuromuscular pain is reduced, range of motion is increased, tension is relieved, and circulation, flexibility and coordination are improved.

What to expect from a Trigger Point Therapy Session?
Trigger Point Therapy can occur within a massage session. During a massage, the therapist may palpate/feel or sense an area where the muscle is taut, the muscle twitches or the client flinches. The therapist then proceeds with client's permission to "deactivate" or trace the pain referral patterns. A trigger point within a muscle can generate pain elsewhere in the body. For example, a lot of tension headaches are trigger point referral patterns of muscles in the upper back or neck. The therapist will apply pressure to the trigger point. The client should feel the pain recede back to simply feeling the pressure of the thumb at point of contact. Trigger point removal can take a couple of sessions and is also largely dependent on identifying and eliminating aggravating factors occurring in the clients lifestyle.

If you have any questions regarding trigger point therapy, please contact our registered massage therapists at Moore Massage Therapy in Stittsville, by calling 613 831 8374 or emailing [email protected]