Trigger Point Therapy for Pain

I am a big fan of Trigger Point Therapy, not only because I'm a Massage Therapist, but more because I have experienced first hand how it can relieve chronic pain without medical intervention or drugs.  Since most people have no idea what Trigger Point Therapy is, I'll write a little about it.

Trigger points are small, contracted knots of muscle tissue in the body.  Most are as small as a lentil, but can cause extreme pain at the site or refer pain to other parts of the body.  There is growing evidence that around 75% of the time, trigger points are the primary cause of aches and pains.  Beyond that, they a

re at least a part of virtually every pain problem. 

Here is just a small portions of the many ailments that trigger points can be the main culprit of:

-headaches
-neck and jaw pain
-upper and lower back pain
-symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome
-some joint pain mistakenly ascribed to arthritis
-tendinitis
-bursitis
-earaches
-dizziness
-heartburn
-tennis elbow
-sinus pain
-chronic fatigue
-depression related to chronic pain

How can a little knot cause so many problems?

"A trigger point affects a muscle by keeping it both tight and weak. At the same time, a trigger point maintains a hard contraction on the muscle fibers that are directly connected to it. In turn, these taut bands of muscle fiber keep constant tension on the muscle's attachments, often producing symptoms in adjacent joints. The constant tension in the fibers of the trigger point itself restricts circulation in its immediate area. The resulting accumulation of the by-products of metabolism, as well as deprivation of the oxygen and nutrients needed for metabolism can perpetuate trigger points for months, or even years, unless some intervention occurs. It's this self-sustaining vicious cycle that needs to be broken."

Or in other words, our whole body is one system connected together.  Even when one small area of a muscle is out of balance, it can cause a domino effect that ripples tension and pain to other areas.  If left untreated, the whole body can become affected.

Trigger Point Therapy is the intervention that is needed to break this vicious cycle and aid the muscle tissue into healing itself and functioning at an optimal level once again.  With this massage modality, intentional strokes are used on specific trigger points to increase circulation, stretch the knotted muscle fibers, and release the contraction.

Unlike many massage modalities, such as acupressure, Trigger Point Therapy is backed up by plenty of Western research.  It's been written about in medical and scientific texts for over 60 years. 

Of course, trigger points aren't the cause of every ache and pain, but if you've had a re-occuring issue that hasn't resolved with conventional treatments, it's very likely to be trigger point related.  I use a little Trigger Point Therapy in almost every massage I give, but if you're interested in specific pain relief, please let me know so we can incorporate more Trigger Point Therapy and work together to solve your problem so you can live pain free.