What is Trigger Point Therapy?
Alternative forms of treatment such as massage therapy have only started to gain popularity since the late 1990’s; Trigger Point Therapy is actually quite old.
A Trigger Point is described as a hyper-irritable point on the skeletal system, which is caused due to nodules forming on taut muscle fibers. These nodules cause pain to the affected areas, especially when pressed.
The formation of these nodules or Trigger Points is caused due to a number of factors such as disease or infection, trauma to the affected region, or over stressing of the involved muscles. High stress levels and smoking have also been known to lead to the formation of these nodules.
How does trigger point therapy work? Diagnosis is perhaps the most important step in Trigger Point Therapy. A professional therapist will first identify the Trigger Points. These Trigger Points may then be treated by manual therapy, mechanical vibration, ultrasound treatment, electric stimulation, compression, or injections. A combination of kneading and stretching techniques with the hands, elbows, feet, and various tools are also used.
Once these Trigger Points have been neutralized, Myofascial Release techniques are used to elongate and soothe the surrounding muscles. This ensures that the pain and inflammation does not reoccur. Trigger Point Therapy Benefits Trigger point therapy is different from other forms of massage therapy in one very important way. Most massage therapies treat the body as a whole and rely on massaging the entire affected area to provide relief. This can cause damage to underlying soft connective tissue. Trigger Point Therapy, on the other hand, relies on the identification and treatment of only the relevant Trigger Points that are causing pain. This results in speedy pain relief without any lingering pain in the associated areas. Precautions Trigger Point Therapy relies heavily on an accurate diagnosis of the Trigger Points. If an incorrect diagnosis is carried out, then treatment will be applied to the unaffected parts, resulting in an increase in the severity of pain and the possibility of further damage to muscle and tissue. Thus, it is very important to employ the services of an experienced therapist so as to ensure that wrong treatment is not given.
A good therapist will also be able to determine whether or not the pain patterns exhibited in the patient are characteristic of trigger point therapy or whether the patient should be referred to some other specialist. |
