Body Blog

If you've ever experienced a Swedish massage, you know the benefits of tissue kneading and long strokes that cover the entire length of a muscle.  Trigger point massage, however, focuses specifically on tiny lumps within a muscle that typically refer or send pain to another (usually nearby) part of the body.  In T.P. massage, you will experience deep, static pressure -- very different from the rhythmic, flowing style of a Swedish session.  It may be beneficial to think of trigger point massage as true 'Body Work', because it requires active participation from the recipient.

How Do I Locate a Trigger Point?

Trigger points can show up in almost any muscle, but the ones most often complained of are in the shoulders, neck and back.  Reach up with your hand, and touch your opposite shoulder.  Moving your fingers in small circles, see if you can locate any knotted or tender spots in this area.  When you've found one, press down on it slowly, gradually deepening your pressure.  You might be thinking "Ouch!"  Take a big breath, and try to maintain the pressure.  Does this spot 'radiate' pain or sensations of tingling, or hot and cold up your neck, or perhaps down your shoulder?  If you experience a sensation anywhere else while pressing on this tender spot (a phenomenon known as 'referred pain' or 'referred sensation'), you've found a Trigger Point!  You can repeat this exercise on your legs, your upper arms, even in the muscles that work your jaw.

"On a scale of 1 to 10..."

When treating trigger points, be ready to endure some uncomfortable sensations.  Knowing just how much pressure to apply is very important, and that's why it's good to explore your own Trigger Points and become familiar with what is beneficial for your body.  In general, keep in mind a pain scale of 1 to 10, with '1' representing no pain, and '10' representing the most pain you can safely tolerate.

Follow the steps below -- and always remember to breathe deeply:

Locate a trigger point by moving your fingers over a muscle and testing pain or sensation referral patterns as discussed above.

1. Begin to apply pressure directly downward (not at an angle) into this point.  Don't just suddenly push down -- deepen your pressure slowly, and breathe.
2. Picture the pain scale in your head.  Gradually try to bring yourself to a 7 or an 8 -- but not beyond.  Once you've reached this level, maintain the pressure as you breath in and out.  Resist the urge to 'rub' or 'knead' this spot.  Many find that visualization techniques work well; imagine the trigger point as a ball of mud that is slowly dissolving and melting away.
3. After several seconds have passed, you should begin to feel the pain subsiding, although your pressure remains the same (don't deepen your pressure again).  It could take anywhere from ten seconds to two minutes -- sometimes more! -- for your pain level to drop down to a 1 or 2.  Be patient and breathe.  When you feel nearly no pain, gently begin to let up on the pressure.  It's normal to experience sensations of warmth or tingling when you've released the point entirely.  Now, gently stroke and knead over the trigger point and into the areas that experienced referred pain.  This helps to dissipate any lingering tension and re-pattern the muscle fibers.

Sore Winner

With Trigger Point work, you should expect to be a bit sore the next day.  However, if the soreness persists for more than 48 hours, you've probably overworked yourself.  Next time, go a little more slowly, breathe a little more deeply, and really listen to your body's response to the treatment.  Drinking lots of water helps to flush toxins that may be released during trigger point work, and will minimize soreness.

The Body Back Buddy was designed to help you reach problem spots such as the lower back and between the shoulder blades -- areas that often become congested with trigger points.  Many find that exerting the deep pressure necessary for T.P. treatment can be hard on the hands and fingers -- Body Back Buddy does the work for you.  Give it a try...you'll be amazed at the results.

The jury is still out on this one, folks.  We all know that trigger points -- or 'T.P.s' -- exist;  we experience them first-hand as 'knots', 'kinks', or 'cricks' in muscle tissue that can cause us a lot of grief.  But what causes them to form?  Stress is certainly a culprit, as are diet and environment.  More specifically, many scientists' best guess is that a T.P. will often form where a motor neuron (which conducts impulses from the brain to a muscle) enters a muscle, usually in the thickest part of the muscle (the 'belly').  The muscle fibers closest to the motor neuron receive the greatest amount of information, or stimulus, and are therefore more often in a state of stress than the muscle fibers farther away from the motor neuron.  (Think of a teacher speaking to her class -- the students closest to the teacher will experience her voice as louder and more intense than their classmates sitting in the last row.)  Constant receipt of information from the brain causes these nearby muscle fibers to enter a holding pattern, and they become chronically seized.  Although T.P.s usually occur in predictable patterns, each body reacts differently to stress stimuli, making it impossible to determine exactly how and under what conditions trigger points will form.

When I Massage a T.P. in My Left Shoulder, My Right Shoulder Tingles -- What's Up?

When massaged, trigger points will almost always refer pain, tingling, numbness, itchiness, or even sensations of hot and cold, to another area of the body.  This is completely normal!  It's a testament to how interconnected all of our muscles are; in fact, treating a single trigger point may help correct problems in distant regions of the body.  

It's All So Interconnected!

When a muscle attains release through massage, several things are happening that might not be obvious to the naked eye.  Local circulation is increased.  This is easy to test:  deeply massage your own arm or hand for 30-60 seconds.  See how rosy your skin becomes?  Blood is now strongly circulating to this area, bringing with it nutrients and oxygen that help to repair muscle damage and flush any build-up of lactic acid.  This is because massage releases 'vasodilators' -- chemicals within your body that cause blood vessels to widen, allowing your blood to pass through more freely, and thereby reducing blood pressure.  Additionally, a constricted muscle can itself impinge nerves and blood vessels -- when the muscle is relaxed, stretched and loosened through massage and trigger point work, overall circulation is improved dramatically.  Lastly, we instinctually compensate for weak or constricted muscles -- that is, we use other muscles to take on the work load of a muscle that's out of shape, injured or too full of trigger points.  This can cause those helpful stand-in muscles to become over-wrought and strained as well.  Oftentimes, by carefully treating a trigger point within a specific muscle, and restoring that muscle to its proper function, we can bring many other areas into balance.  

Why Choose the Body Back Buddy for My Trigger Point Treatment?

There are many benefits to using the Body Back Buddy to treat your trigger points.  Trigger point massage is a subjective experience -- it requires deep pressure and a willingness to breathe and listen to your own body.  The Body Back Buddy allows you to control the intensity of your massage, staying within your own pressure comfort level.  Also, treating trigger points manually can tax your thumbs and fingers -- using the Body Back Buddy limits strain on your wrists and hands.  There's a Body Back Buddy for every body shape and need, so you can enjoy the benefits of therapeutic massage when and where it's convenient for you!  Try the Body Back Buddy today, and experience the relief only a customized massage can provide.

Keep your eyes out for Trigger Points -- Part Two:  How to Unknit Those Knots!