Trigger points (myofascial pain) are small “knots,” or areas of spasm, within a muscle. They may be tender when touched, and/or cause a muscle to shorten. The shortening may then limit the range of motion of the affected area (for example, bending from the low back). Trigger points may even cause “referred pain”: pain felt at a distant location when the trigger point is touched. Pain from these points may come and go spontaneously, or linger hours, days, even months.
The causes of trigger points mirror low back pain: accidents, misuse, overuse, misalignments, disk and other spinal problems. The resulting inflammation, along with emotional stressors, cause muscle cells to contract. When the muscle cells contract continuously, they constrict their own blood supply and produce a local “energy crisis” to the muscle cells. When this occurs, the cells do not have enough energy to stop contracting (counter-intuitively, energy is needed to stop contraction), and prolonged spasm and trigger points may ensue.[11]
Trigger Point Therapy loosens these knots, allowing improved blood flow to the chronically spasmodic areas. As a result, the areas begin to heal. As the knots loosen, pain often immediately and markedly improves. The treatment is simple, minimally invasive and quick. When performed in series, improvement is usually noted after each visit.[11]
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