09 Mar Trigger Point Therapy for Long-Lasting Pain Relief
Trigger point therapy can give you that long-lasting pain relief that you are searching for without requiring to turn towards addictive narcotics or invasive measures. Are you suffering from chronic pain in your back, neck, spine or other part of your body? When we are in pain, our natural tendency is to seek treatment for the area that hurts. We never assume the problem is located anywhere besides our source of pain. That may not be the case, however. Trigger points (small contraction knots in the muscles) could be referring pain from one part of your body to another, and could actually be the culprit of your pain if you are an athlete or relatively active. The health providers at Mile High Spine & Pain Center are well-trained at diagnosing and treating the pain in your body by finding and treating the trigger points with trigger point therapy. The effectiveness of trigger point therapy can provide you with long-term results for your chronic pain and help you learn how to avoid future problems.
Small Contracted Knots, Big Painful Problems
Like we mentioned, a trigger point is a small contraction knot in the muscles. Usually, this is a palpable knot that may be tender and will certainly cause pain when it is touched. You can “trigger” a trigger point by touching it or massaging it. A trigger point can be a simple knot the size of a pea or larger, or it can be a little more elongated, like semi-hard pasta. These small knots can form in the muscles themselves, but there have been cases where trigger points are found in ligaments as well. Where a trigger point is present, a person will notice several changes in their body: pain in a muscle (which may or may not be where the trigger point is located), muscle weakness/fatigue or a change in motor patterns. Some trigger points are considered “latent”, meaning that the area in which they are located is the area that hurts. Other trigger points are considered “active”, meaning that the trigger point is located in a different area of the body then the part that is in pain. We’ll use a runner as an example. If a runner wears bad shoes, this could cause strain on their muscles over time and a trigger point could develop in the foot. But, the runner will feel pain in their calf, when really the problem is the runner’s foot that has a lack of proper support. Because the cause of the pain originates in a different place than where the muscle hurts, a specialist is needed to pinpoint the trigger point and treat it.
Know Your Body
It may take time to notice a trigger point even exists, but pay close attention to what your body is telling you. Many athletes will notice that they have a dull pain in their body or a muscle that seems to always give them trouble, however, they can’t remember an injury to the area. The cause of the pain could be a trigger point. The presence of a trigger point usually is the first sign that something in the body is amiss, and correct treatment could prevent a severe injury from occurring later on (due to a muscle weakening from the trigger point). Many people don’t realize that there is specialized therapy for the pain they have. Treating muscles that are in a state of abnormally high tension (hypertonicity) need specialized treatment to avoid serious injury.
What is Trigger Point Therapy?
Trigger-point therapy has been under-utilized by many in the medical profession, simply because other methods have been used to treat problems (surgery, physical therapy, etc). These other methods tend to be much more expensive, when the problem could be easily solved with trigger-point therapy. This type of therapy focuses heavily on soft tissue work. The difference between your everyday massage and trigger-point therapy, is that trigger points are usually harder to find and eliminate than just with a simple massage. Since trigger points can cause referred pain symptoms in other areas of your body, it is easy to falsely identify where the pain is located unless you are evaluated by someone experienced and trained with trigger point therapy. Trigger point therapy works to help free knotted muscles in the body that are unable to reach the normal flexibility and range of motion that they should. Therapists use a series of soft-tissue work to pinpoint the source of your pain and a source trigger point, if multiple are present. Once a source is detected, a therapist will do all they can to get the muscle back to it’s normal flexibility and mobility through consistent appointments and at-home exercises and stretches. Think of it as physical therapy, but shorter and highly effective.
Some Benefits of Trigger Point Therapy
Whether it’s a bum leg that always gives you trouble or a hurt muscle that constantly aches when you exercise, it would be wise to see if a trigger point (or several) are causing you unneeded pain. Injuries involving trigger points or those that form trigger points can usually be treated with soft-tissue work and the expertise of a trigger point therapist to ensure that you become pain-free and get back on track with your fitness goals. Studies in recent years have shown that athletes that use trigger-point therapy tend to heal much faster after injuries and from muscle pain and tenderness quicker than those who don’t. Those who find their trigger points and get treatment for them will find that problem muscles are no longer problems for months and even years to come. If you notice a nagging pain in a muscle that just won’t go away, make sure to make an appointment with your trigger point therapist. At Mile High Spine & Pain Center, we have the knowledge and expertise to get your body feeling amazing and pain free. All you have to do is call and schedule an appointment today! Call (720) 507-0080 today to schedule your free consultation!