What is trigger point therapy ?

Trigger point therapy has been around for quite a long time, but ever so often I get asked what it actually is. Here a quick low down of how trigger point therapy might help you.

What the trigger point therapy?

Massage by definition is first of all a series of flowing strokes. Trigger point therapy is more direct pressure than this and often holding a thumb or elbow in an area until it releases. How do we find these trigger points ?

Along the different areas to be massaged you will usually find a number of different textures and structures. Some of these structures, such as ligaments, bony attachments or cartilage have a thicker feel to them, than a standard smooth feel of a muscle. We use these different textures as a map to find our way around the subcutaneous areas of the body.

Occasionally we can come across a texture we might refer to as a nodule. Nodules often indicate an area of irritable muscle fibre and a thickening of soft tissue or fascia, which has a higher expect in this area of musculature. While this may not necessarily be a cause for concern, nodules can lead to symptoms of tightness in other areas of the muscles often referred to as radiating pain. For example a pain in the neck may go back to the area of the upper back, where a nodule has caused the muscle to become tight, causing a headache. (We regularly see this in the levator scapulae for example)

Trigger point therapy aims to loosen up the nodule and irritated muscle fibre seen as a trigger for the pain. This is done by stimulating the area with direct pressure (which may cause a degree of twitching in some muscles) as well as deep sweeping motions, to stretch and mobilize the area.

If you think trigger point therapy may be something you would like to try, book a massage online with us today  or call 0800100368 .

Happy massaging as always 🙂

Carmen @ Auckland Therapeutic Massage