Trigger point therapy is about more than just pressing on tight muscles!
Trigger point therapy was discovered, and created not by massage therapists, but by two doctors, Travell & Simons.
What Travell and Simons discovered was twofold. First, they noted that there were specific areas on each muscle that tended to develop tightness. Second, (and this is the real amazing part) was that each of these areas of tightness, when pressed on, produced predictable referral pain patterns.
What does predictable referral pain patters mean? Let’s take the shoulder muscle up above, the Infraspinatus. Here, you can see the black “Xs” that show the parts of the Infraspinaus that can develop trigger points. Next notice the red marks. The red areas are the places that might have pain as a result of the trigger points in the Infraspinatus. When a therapists applies pressure to the trigger points, if pain is felt in the areas marked by red, that means that there is, in fact, a trigger point. If a therapists presses on the trigger point and all is felt is a release where they are pressing, that is NOT a trigger point.
Trigger point therapy is incredibly useful to massage therapist for two reasons. First, it provides us with a roadmap of which areas of each muscle might be tight and problematic. Second, they tell us that if a client is having pain in one area, which nearby areas may be contributing. Going back to the Infraspinatus example, if a client is having pain down the arm, that tells me the Infraspinatus may be involved because Infraspinatus trigger points refer down the arm.
When most people think of trigger point therapy, they think of a therapist pressing on tight area. However, a big part of the original trigger point therapy was actually injecting muscles with a solution that would help them relax. I do not do this kind of trigger point therapy! It is my opinion that hands are perfectly capable of resolving trigger points, and that injections should NOT be the next step if the problem isn’t solved after treatment. Instead, I would highly recommend corrective exercise.
Maybe you’re reading this article because a friend of yours recommended you try trigger point therapy, and now you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the treatment options out there. I get it. There are many types of massage therapy to choose from, so how do you know which one is right for you?
Here’s the good news, rarely will you ever find a massage therapist who practices just trigger point therapy. Instead, what you’ll often find is that massage therapists have studied many modalities, and they will treat you with whatever method they think will best solve your problem. That might be trigger point, or some other method. My recommendation is to go with a therapist who has good reviews and gets good results, not one who practices only this or that modality, because that’s not how we’re trained.
Trigger point therapy can do wonders for easing tension and restoring function. If you’re looking for a trigger point therapist in San Francisco I invite you to come into my office. Just click Book Now, choose a 60 or 90 minute session, and I’ll see you soon.
Pain Solutions Massage Therapy & Personal Training
Phone: 415.518.2125
Email: ben.beeler2014@gmail.com
Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 8:30am-10am, 1pm-7pm
Wednesday: 8:30am-10am, 1pm-7pm
Thursday: 8:30am-10am, 1pm-7pm
Friday: 8:30am-10am, 1pm-6:30pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: 2pm-6:30pm
