Trigger Point therapy

To understand what Trigger Point Therapy does, is helpful to first understand the make-up of a muscle. Muscles are technically colloids,  which means that when they are cold, they are more solid. Once you warm up the muscle fibers, they actually have a gel-like consistency.

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Lack of movement causes stiff muscles because you are not warming up the fascia-the thin sheath of muscle layer-and it becomes solidified and cold. Stretching & moving a muscle creates heat, as does pressure, friction and massage .

 

While massage alone is great at warming and liquefying the muscle, sometimes a muscle 'knot', or trigger point, is so stubborn and has formed over such a period of time  that a deeper more extreme measure is needed to release the muscle and get blood flowing in that area again. These knots of muscle fiber can be caused by repetitive holding patterns or unbalanced movements causing stress and clenching in that area,

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Each knot or area of constricted and solidified fascia and muscle cells creates a referral pattern, an area of pain that spreads out from this point of discomfort. These are all areas that could be painful during the day, not because they specifically are tight but because they are reacting to the trigger point area. As we go into the area with pressure to release the trigger, it may mimic that referral pattern, and other areas of the body may feel slight pain, numbness or tingling as the therapist holds that area.

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Once I feel that muscle start to ‘melt’, I generally ask if it’s ok to go deeper to see if there is more tension and pain hiding underneath that layer of muscle. If there is, I release that too until there is greatly reduced pain in the area. It should no longer feel sharp.

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Trigger point can be a bit taxing for the recipient, but it is well worth the after effects. Not only is there almost always a complete feeling of relief and relaxation after I am done with the trigger point session, but later during the day you may feel lighter, like some constriction has been released.

 

Trigger Point can be performed on all areas of the body including back, glutes, legs, TMJ, and arms. Trigger points are palpable, so when a therapist finds one they know it. You will too. As a trigger point is being released through pressure, it is often that the muscle will twitch as it releases. I like to think of it as a muscle shuddering one last time as it finally relaxes.

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From Quora.com Medical/Massage discussion:

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“Methods of massage that successfully release trigger points include ischemic compression (holding pressure steadily on a trigger point until it softens/releases) and friction massage (sliding the finger/hand/etc. along a *usually* veinous direction of a muscle, creating a vacuum/suction effect upon the circulation which “flushes” the tissue rapidly, introducing freshened circulatory fluids quickly as well as “dumping” inflammatory chemicals present in the tissue back into general circulation) [6]. They are creating a compression to the tissue that temporarily compromises the circulation.  The body responds to the compromise, which strives toward equilibrium, by sending a “flush” of blood and lymph, which contain constituents that temporarily alleviate pain (endorphins), which also “flush” out inflammatory chemicals (substance P, prostaglandins, bradykinin, etc.),[7] and which also contain energy constituents for metabolic recovery for both the myofascial tissue and the neuromuscular junctions.”