Trigger Point Therapy
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 Travell in the United States in the 1940s.
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 may be associated with myofascial pain syndromes or fibromyalgia. Trigger points are very common. They are also referred to as muscle knots. 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 have several causes. Some common causes of trigger points are: birth trauma, an injury sustained in a fall or accident, poor posture, or overexertion. It is believed that Trigger Points are also created by muscle strain and emotional stress. Sometimes trigger points can lie dormant and don't cause pain until they are activated by physical or emotional stress.
To defuse trigger points, pressure is applied to the muscle for several seconds by means of fingers, knuckles and elbows. The success of this method depends on the use of specific corrective exercise for the freed muscles. It is important to take preventative measures like muscle stretching and decreasing stress to keep trigger points from returning.
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.