What is a Trigger Point?

People suffering from myofascial pain may experience a limited range of motion and targeted pain from a knot in the muscle called a ‘trigger point’,  that form in a muscle when it is unable to relax. Trigger points cause both pain in a pinpointed area of a muscle, as well as referred pain, which occurs outside the trigger point by irritating the nerves around it.
Trigger points are the root cause behind myofascial pain which affects most people at some point in their lives.

 

Available Treatment Options

Luckily, there are a variety of options to help with managing, or even relieving persistent trigger point pain. The best option for your needs depends on your budget, schedule, threshold of pain, and overall health.

 

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is one of the more affordable options to manage trigger point pain. Any licensed physical therapist,or massage therapist will physically ‘work out’ the knot to release tension from the inflamed muscle. The therapist will either apply pressure with a tool or their hands to warm the body increase blood circulation, and release the knot.
Another less costly approach is to do it yourself. You can use a massage tool to relieve trigger point pain, especially for frequently occurring pain.
Manual massage tools like the Body Back Buddy are specifically designed to reach any area on your body, even hard to reach areas like the neck and back. Relieve tension by applying the appropriate amount of pressure using any of the 11 knobs on the tool. The knobs come in 3 shapes--acorn for deep tissue relief, round for all over massage and nubs for lower spine. The 11 knobs are arrayed strategically along the 27" frame to access every trigger point and provide all over muscle pain relief.
Self massage tools are the perfect option to relieve pain between appointments with a therapist.

Download our free trigger point guide!

Trigger Point Injections

Trigger point injections are another way to solve trigger point pain. This treatment requires a doctor to administer an injection of either saline or a local anesthetic to treat the inflamed area. The injection relieves the inflamed muscle and the relief can be instantaneous.
Continuous treatments can help alleviate pain, but the frequency of a trigger point injection is dependent on the medication in the injection. If a steroid injection is used then appointments must be spaced out to avoid muscle shrinkage, which can be a side effect of steroid usage. If the injection is anesthetic, then appointments can be scheduled more frequently.
These injections can treat pain in muscle groups such as the back, neck, and legs. In some cases where a steroid medication is used, a shrinkage of fat can occur underneath the skin, leaving a visible mark on the injection site. Other common side effects that may occur include infection, bruising, and bleeding.

Dry Needling

Another approach is ‘Dry Needling’. This treatment is often referred to as the “deepest tissue release” because a solid needle is inserted directly into the muscle to stimulate the muscle tissue. The needles penetrate the sore muscles and cause relaxation, which relieves even the most persistent pain.
This process can damage the muscle tissue but will also encourage healing by promoting blood flow to the affected area. The needle is a foreign object inserted into your body, so your immune system will activate and a natural inflammatory reaction will occur. The intensity of pain you feel will depend on your threshold. Dry needling causes a twitching sensation, which can feel like a muscle cramp.
The aftereffects of this treatment are commonly some mild soreness and bruising.

What Will Work Best for You?

While there are options available to treat trigger point pain, there is no one treatment that is guaranteed to work over another - only you can know what works best for your body's needs. We recommend starting with a manual massage tool, which is currently the most inexpensive and convenient option, and working from there to find which treatment will best relieve your trigger point pain.

 

Sources

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/313007-overview
https://www.aafp.org/afp/2002/0215/p653.html
https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/trigger-point-injection
https://www.uwhealth.org/health-wellness/trigger-point-dry-needling-on-point-pain-relief/51270
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/16542-dry-needling
https://www.healthline.com/health/myofascial-pain#home-remedies