Trigger Point Massage

Ever wonder what can be done to help headaches, neck stiffness, carpal tunnel type symptoms, tennis elbow, bursitis, frozen shoulder, back pain, low back stiffness, sciatica, shin splints?

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Find a massage therapist that is skilled with finding and treating trigger points and you just might find immediate relief.

Trigger points are accumulations of waste products around a nerve receptor. Often times they feel like nodules or taut bands of fibers within the soft tissues. Trigger points form in muscles which have been overused or injured due to an accident or surgery. Common characteristics are increased muscle tension and muscle shortening. Increased muscle tension is the primary side-effect of trigger points and pain is the most common secondary effect. Trigger points can present themselves as referred patterns of sensation such as sharp pain, dull ache, tingling, pins and needles, hot or cold, as well as can create symptoms such as nausea, ear ache, equilibrium disturbance, or blurred vision.

Trigger points can exist in two states, either active or latent. Active trigger points are those which cause discomfort. Latent trigger points wait silently in the muscle for a future stress to activate them. Aches and pains which began in the past become more frequent and severe in intensity as we age. It is common to attribute this discomfort to arthritis instead of our tight muscles which harbor trigger points.

Trigger points are not visible with traditional medical testing such as MRI or X-ray. 80 % of the trigger point locations are common with acupuncture treatment locations. When trigger points are not treated, they will create satellite trigger points in the affected area. For instance, a trigger point in the trapezius may cause a trigger point to appear in the temple. The trigger point in the temple then may cause a trigger point to appear in the jaw. And, voilà! - a case of TMJ.

To diffuse a trigger point, static compression (pressure) is applied for 10 seconds, released, then pressure applied for 10 more seconds in a pumping action while the client breathes deeply. This action flushes the toxins and calms the nerves. (see pictures on right showing treatment of a stiff neck and as part of a Sports Massage for a runner). Releasing trigger points releases endorphins so the result is elimination of discomfort as well as being energized.

Trigger point massage is not a relaxing, "fluff and buff" technique. It requires the participation of the client to communicate the presence and intensity of pain and discomfort. The therapist and client work together as a team to maximize the effectiveness of the treatment.

It is common to find great improvement after one treatment. Repeated treatment may be necessary for those with chronic trigger points. Stretching should be done as "home work" to encourage the muscles that have been treated to stay in a lengthened position.

Trigger point research lists nutritional deficiencies or inadequacies as "perpetuating factors." A good multi-vitamin supplement that is high in anti-oxidants and is in an encapsulated form can help ensure that once treated, trigger points do not reform. Robb* recommends Twinlab’s MaxiLife or for those over 40, MaxiLife CoQ10 formula to be taken: one capsule up to four times per day, since the water-soluble nutrients which are critical to normal muscle function (e.g. Vitamin C and B-Complex) can only stay at a peak level in the blood stream from 4 to 6 hours.

Trigger Point Therapy is a subset of neuromuscular therapy which examines and treats muscles and muscle attachments in layers from superficial to deep, ligaments and connective tissues. More about neuromuscular therapy will be presented in a future article.

*Information about Trigger Point Therapy and demonstrations of the techniques have been provided by Robb Doyle, LMT, NMT of Buckhead Bodyworks in Atlanta, Georgia. Buckhead Bodyworks offers NeuroMuscular Therapy, Trigger Point Therapy, Classic Western massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Sports Massage, chair massage, and aromatherapy body wraps.

Buckhead Bodyworks
375 Pharr Rd. NE, Suite 103
Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: 404.262.0692
Email: robb@buckheadbodyworks.com

For more information about Trigger Point Therapy, Robb recommends the following books:

Myofascial Pain & Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual: The Lower Extremities
by Janet Travell, MD and David Simons, MD

and

Travell and Simons' Myofascial Pain & Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual: Upper Half of Body
by Janet Travell, MD and David Simons, MD

Trigger Point Massage and Myofascial Therapy Reference Library

Be sure to read about the use of Trigger Point Therapy in Sports Massage in the article Buckhead Bodyworks and The Peachtree Road Race.

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