Trigger Point Therapy

Myofascial trigger points are an extremely common cause of pain. Trigger points are painful when pressed on, cause a shortening of the muscle fibres, and have a special property called referred pain. Referred pain means that a trigger point in one muscle can create pain in another area. 

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For instance, when the muscle at the top of your shoulder (trapezius) has a trigger point it will refer pain up the side of your neck and head causing a headache. Active myofascial trigger points in the muscles of the shoulder neck and face are a common source of headaches. In many instances the headache has the features of so-called tension headache, but there is increasing acceptance that myofascial trigger points may initiate classical migraine headaches or be part of a mixed tension/migraine headache complex.

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When all is in working order, muscles allow us to perform normal activities with ease. When our muscles harbor trigger points, we experience pain, stiffness and tension, physical limitation and loss of normal function.

 

Factors commonly cited as predisposing to trigger point formation include but are not limited to: de-conditioning, poor posture, repetitive mechanical stress, mechanical imbalance (e.g. leg length inequality), joint disorders, non-restorative sleep and vitamin deficiencies.

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Trigger Points can be treated with Dry Needling, but also manually with deep thumb pressure that is sustained for about 1 minute.

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Common conditions that can be a result of active Trigger Points include:

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• Headaches

• Neck and back pain

• Shoulder/Rotator Cuff symptoms

• Jaw pain

• Tennis elbow

• Sciatica

• Arm pain

• Plantar fasciitis (foot pain)

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