Most people will experience muscle pain at some point in their life, but for some people, it can be persistent. If you experience chronic muscle pain, you may have developed trigger points. Muscle pain can sometimes be corrected by fixing your posture or stretching regularly, but in the case that it’s a trigger point, you may benefit from trigger point therapy.
What are Trigger Points?
You’re probably familiar with the concept of a knot in your muscles. Trigger points refer to the same thing—to put it simply, they are pain points in the muscle fibers.
Trigger points can be caused by overuse or injury of the muscles. For example, if you work a desk job and find yourself hunched over for most of your shift, your pectoral muscles and those in your upper back as well can potentially experience trigger points. In other words, trigger points cause muscles to contract continuously or to remain in tight positions where they cannot relieve themselves.
Symptoms of Trigger Point Therapy
Common symptoms include:
- Deep, localized pain in the muscles
- Muscle pain that doesn’t improve over time
- Painful knots in the muscle that produces intense pain (localized or referred)
- Pain that worsens when the muscle is stretched or strained
- Muscles with reduced range of motion
- Disturbed sleep
What is Trigger Point Therapy?
Trigger point therapy is a type of massage therapy that focuses on the treatment of painful and tense trigger points, or “knots” in the muscles. This technique focuses on locating and treating these trigger points or muscle knots. By releasing tight bands in muscles and correcting muscular imbalances, trigger point therapy can decrease pain and increase mobility. The goal is to relieve pain and muscle tension while simultaneously increasing blood flow to the area so that it can heal more quickly than normal.
The therapist will apply pressure to these points to release muscle spasms and reduce pain. The number of sessions needed depends on the severity of your pain and its cause; some people only need one session, while others may require more frequent visits over time. Trigger point therapy works best for treating pain caused by muscle strain and injuries, but it can also help with joint pain, headaches, and backaches.
Who Needs Trigger Point Therapy?
Trigger point therapy can help anyone with chronic muscle pain. Additionally, it can also help provide relief to those who’ve suffered from any injury or strain to the muscles (sports injuries, for example).
Trigger point therapy is also beneficial to people who have muscular imbalances and asymmetries because it specifically targets the areas where the imbalance exists—by increasing blood flow to the area, it helps bring the nutrients needed for muscle growth.
Pregnant women with heightened pain or sensitivity can also receive trigger point therapy since it focuses on providing relief without the need for medication.
Benefits of Trigger Point Therapy
The benefits of Trigger Point Therapy include the following:
- Decreased pain
- Increased mobility
- Increased blood flow
- Increased range of motion (ROM)
- Enhanced strength and flexibility
Trigger point therapy is a powerful treatment for pain and discomfort. It can help you to get the relief you need and improve your quality of life. If you’re interested in trying out trigger point therapy, reach out to Salish Integrated Medical today! Call us at 360-200-1650, or contact us online to get started.