TRIGGERPOINT THERAPY

What is a trigger point?Trigger points and tender points are sensitive tension "knots" that can be felt in the muscle tissue, which can cause local or radiating symptoms (appearing further away from the painful muscle knot). They are of course not visible from the outside, the therapist can feel these pea-sized or slightly larger areas in the muscles. While tender points only cause local pain in the muscle, trigger points produce a radiating complaint in a more distant part of our body. This is where the name trigger point comes from, because it is a question of these knots of tension causing and inducing pain in other parts of our body. It often happens, for example, that in the case of sciatica, the problem is not the irritation of the sciatic nerve, but the painful knots in the gluteal muscles. People often come to us with neck pain or headaches, in such cases the root of the problem often lies elsewhere, it is possible to find the trigger points responsible for the symptoms away from the pain (e.g. on the back). Knowing and locating trigger points is important because it helps to eliminate the real cause of pain. Types of trigger points:
Active trigger point: painful to the touch, the pain radiates to a specific areaInactive/Latent trigger point: does not produce painful, radiating symptoms when pressed, but can easily become an active trigger pointTrigger points in the muscles can be caused by:
acute and chronic overload due to repeated frequent movements (housework, gardening, office work)as a result of sustained load, lifting heavier objects, frequent lifting of small babiesstressarthritis, wear and teardisc herniation (cervical, lumbar)scoliosisdirect trauma, as a result of a car accidentsports,incorrect posture (e.g. tight neck muscles developed in sedentary workers)sedentary lifestyle, trigger points can also develop from a lack of movement, for example from too much sitting

Effects of trigger points: Trigger points have both local and distant effects in the given muscle tissue. In the long run, it creates a self-perpetuating vicious circle. As a result of tension, the muscle knot shuts off its own blood supply, so the metabolism of the tissue deteriorates, its nutrient supply becomes insufficient, and harmful waste products accumulate in the area. These reinforce each other and maintain and aggravate the local muscle tension, until we interrupt the self-sustaining process with external influence (trigger point therapy). If this unfavorable condition persists in the long term, the local process will eventually affect the condition of the entire muscle tissue, the functioning of the muscle will suffer, so the muscle itself will become tense. When do we use trigger point therapy?
overstretched/overworked musclestight musclesmuscle imbalanceradiating painface, tooth, headacheand other pains with a difficult to detect backgroundSince trigger points are characterized by the fact that they can mimic many different complaints (toothache, back pain, radiating pain), it is often worth starting the therapy by detecting and resolving the trigger points in order to filter out which complaints point to the real problem. Trigger point course of therapy
Thorough examination of the patient's muscle conditionRelaxation of muscle layers with massageApplying even pressure to the trigger point and then releasing itStretching and strengthening of appropriate musclesUsing trigger point therapy, we can achieve long-term results. By pressing and then releasing the appropriate points, headaches caused by tight neck muscles, shoulder pain or lower back pain caused by tight glutes can be effectively alleviated or eliminated. The pressure applied during the therapy may be painful at first, but as the muscle relaxes, the pain will quickly disappear. In the case of traditional massage, relaxing the muscle bundle can help the complaints for a while, but as long as the trigger point remains active, the given muscle will soon become tight again, and the complaint will reappear. Trigger point therapy eliminates the real cause of muscle tension, resulting in lasting improvement.