Trigger point therapy has become among the most popular types of massage therapy today. Its popularity is largely attributed to its efficacy. Trigger point therapy works when a painful point on your body becomes chronically over-pressured. When done by a skilled professional such as a neuromusculoskeletal therapist, the force generated by both thumbs or fingers is gently and accurately applied to the sore, tensed spot of muscle till total pain reduction and the origin of the pain is resolved. So, first things first: Trigger point treatment is appropriate almost anywhere on the body, even though most therapists tend to avoid the face, hands, elbows, and knees.
Trigger point therapy treats the muscles and connective tissues that surround a chronic or recurrently affected muscle. The therapy targets the long-term pain generators or stressors that generate the pain and helps to reduce or eliminate their effect on your body. The technique is often used to treat sports injuries, repetitive strain injuries, muscles in the lower back and stomach, and long-term pain patterns such as carpal tunnel syndrome and fibromyalgia. Trigger point treatments have been successfully used to help people with: hip pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, tennis elbow, tennis shoulder, plantar fasciitis, bursitis, and whiplash injury. It has also been successfully utilized to help patients with asthma, brain tumors, and head injury. Trigger point therapy is very beneficial for eliminating or reducing symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia.
Trigger point therapy treats particular muscle groups rather than just finding the exact location of the tensed muscle, as is typically done. The objective of trigger point treatment is to release muscle tension so that it does not continue to build. For many years it was considered that trigger points were responsible for generating pain, but doctors now know that they are not. Trigger points are actually knots of muscle tissue that become activated due to strange tension and abnormal strain, and then cause localized pain.
The trigger point can be difficult to treat in some patients as it can be tricky to pinpoint precisely where the tender spot is located. When you first start getting treatment, your massage therapist will probably propose a series of stretches to get you back into greater flexibility, and then they will most likely refer you to someone who can perform trigger point treatment on you. Trigger point treatment should only be done by a certified massage therapist. If you are referred to someone who is not a licensed therapist, you might experience additional issues like poor stretching techniques and restricted range of motion, which may make the problem worse. Trigger point therapy shouldn't be continued if there's pain or limitation of motion caused by muscle weakness or tightness.
Trigger point therapy should be carried out on a regular basis so that the knots of myofascial pain can be identified and helped to be treated. Myofascial pain relievers may form anywhere from the spine to the knee. You might notice the initial signs of trigger points while performing simple, regular stretches and poses such as sitting, standing, and bending down. The first indication that you've got myofascial pain is if you are feeling pain around your buttock, middle, and lower back.
Trigger point therapy for chronic myofascial pain symptoms can be accomplished through a systematic clinical procedure that includes physical, occupational, therapeutic, and psychosocial assessment. During your initial appointment with your massage therapist or physician, he or she'll ask you to complete a questionnaire regarding your own symptoms, trigger points, pain complaints, and other important information. The questionnaire is used to identify y