Introduction to Trigger Point Therapy
Do you live in chronic pain? How long has it been? Some people say they’ve been living that way for months, some say a couple years, some say MANY years. And those that say years generally say that they have accepted the fact that this is the way they’ll feel forever. Forever! That’s a long time. And they say this because they have tried everything. Everything from pills, doctors, maybe surgery, physical therapy, massage. So they give up hope.
I am here to tell you to try one more thing. Yes, I’m a massage therapist, but this massage is different. Trigger Point Therapy is a much more specific massage that focuses on your pain and how to treat/release it. Trigger Points are small contraction knots in muscles, that have the ability to refer pain or sensation. Trigger Points are what they are because of the sensation referral. Also, referrals are not just pain, and not just to where you might expect it. Trigger Points cause headaches, jaw pain, that tingling in your hands, the hard to breathe feeling, low back pain, pain ‘right inside the knee’. It can be mysterious and it can come and go. Trigger Points have been known to cause pain that feels like a heart attack. They also have caused numbness. The list goes on and on.
Below, you can see a diagram of where a trigger point may be. The x marks where the trigger point is and the red wave marks where the referral is. Trigger points have referral patterns, where they generally send sensation to. This is why it is important to work the trigger point, and not JUST the area that is experiencing pain. If someone has numb hands and we just work the hands, we could be missing trigger points up the arm and into the shoulder that are causing all of the referral. When this therapy was first founded, the woman made a chart of the whole body and each muscle, mapping where trigger points are and what their referral patterns are, making my job much, much easier. I just want to relay to you that your pain might be coming from somewhere you would not expect.
How do you get trigger points? Daily life can cause them…we are hard on our bodies! But also overuse, injury, and stress are the most common ways to get trigger points. Repetitive activities in our jobs, how we use our bodies daily and daily stress and emotional tension are very common causes of tension. Over time, tension creates the little nodules that are more that just a tight area.
So, this is your invitation to book a massage for trigger point therapy. I see people who have had chronic pain for years feel better than ever afterward. I’ve had those who have had headaches every. single. day have no more headaches. I’ve had those who experience weakness and numbness in their hands feel great. Debilitating low back pain, gone. This technique of releasing those trigger points, and your willingness to work as a team will make a big difference in how you feel and how well this condition you’ve been dealing with lingers.
It might not be the relaxing massage you’ve experienced in the past. You may have to breathe through some tension and pain. When I’m releasing trigger points, my goal is to find the nodule and press it to mimic the pain you experience on a daily basis to release the trigger point and ultimately the referral and pain. Most people describe it as ‘hurting so good.’ If you put in the work by breathing in, allowing the sensations to flow through you and bring intention to release what’s there, you won’t be disappointed. When you put in the work, the session will be worth it, 100%. Now I’m making it sound like you’re going to be jumping off of the table the whole time. It won’t be that either. The hardest work takes place in a few minute increments throughout the massage.
So, if you or someone you know has been struggling with chronic pain, please schedule a Trigger Point Therapy massage! It will be like something you have never tried and many times the thing that works.
BUT if you want to feel great again, this will be a commitment! A commitment to self-care, healing and pain-relief. What I mean is that if you have pain for years, please don’t expect it to go away in the first session, it will take some work. I don’t go into it here, but checkout for my next blog post, called “From A to B”.
If you know someone who has been struggling with chronic pain, I would love to meet them, or even talk to them! If you (or they) have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me!
Lately, my schedule has been very busy, and I book out a few months. However, we now offer a student clinic in April and May. These students have been learning all about trigger points for months, practicing and are ready to take it to the real world! You can schedule an appointment with them here.
If it’s after June 2023, hopefully I’ve hired one of the said students! You can check out our scheduling software to book with us here. We can’t wait to serve you!
Here’s to health, and a new life without pain.
Best of Health!
Nikki
