Are acupressure points the same as trigger points?

In last week’s article entitled Why do your muscles hurt? I explained what trigger points were.   In this article I want to explain the difference between acupressure points and trigger points.

Acupressure points (are the same points used by Acupuncturists) are situated on the meridians.  With acupressure they are stimulated by the application of pressure from the fingers & elbows to relieve

  • pain
  • muscular tension
  • headaches

These points are naturally occurring points in the body that are stimulated to release endorphins (the body’s pain killers) and assist the body to heal itself.  When you book a Seated Acupressure Massage treatment we are applying pressure to the acupressure points to release muscle tension and release endorphins.

On the other hand, trigger points are highly irritated points or bands of skeletal muscle that is painful to the touch and that can give rise to referred pain & tenderness.

So acupressure points are good and trigger points are bad as they cause pain!

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