Trigger Points

Often clients sit down to have a massage and are unaware how tight one area of there shoulder or neck is.  This is very common and here is why:

  • We only notice the worse area of pain – so if our right shoulder is more painful, we have a tendency to assume our left shoulder is OK.
  • Trigger Points

What are Trigger Points?

Trigger Points are hyper-irritable spots in muscle which are between 2mm – 10mm in diameter that are located frequently located where the nerves join the muscle fibers.  Active trigger points are always tender or painful, and often refer pain, so trigger points in only of the largest shoulder muscles the trapezius often refers pain up the side of the neck.  While latent trigger points are only painful when they are touched.  This is why when I work, sometime you discover areas of your shoulders that you didn’t know were painful, these are latent trigger points.

Trigger points can be found anywhere in the body but are extremely common in the shoulders.

So if latent trigger points are only painful when you touch them, do I need a massage to release them? 

The simple answer is yes as they may restrict your range of movement, so you will feel tightness if you try and rotate your shoulders or they can reduce the strength of your muscles, which puts more strain on your joints.

What causes trigger points?

There are several ideas about what causes trigger points but no agreed theory.  Below is a list of possible causes

  • Poor Posture
  • Muscle Damage
  • Nervous Tension
  • Physical Stress
  • Psyschological Stress
  • Environmental Factors – cold, damp
  • Illness
  • Lack of rest or sleep
  • Poor Diet

What are the symptoms of trigger points?

  • Restricted movement
  • Tension headaches
  • Referred pain
  • Painful movement of a joint or limb

How can I prevent trigger points forming?

  • Maintain good posture
  • Manage your stress
  • Follow a daily stretching routine

How can I get rid of my trigger points?

  • Acupuncture
  • Massage

 

 

 

Related Posts

  • Arm and Hand Stretches

    These stretches can either be done as a complete series or individually and most of them can be done at your desk.  Some will ease tension in specific parts of the body whilst others are generally relaxing.  Please remember stretching should always be relaxing and never painful! To get maximum benefit from these stretches you should do them daily and hold each stretch for 15 seconds and repeat twice unless otherwise stated. Arm and Hand Stretches

    • Stand with your feet together, keeping you feet together and your knees soft.  Raise your arms alternatively swinging them over your head as if you were performing backstroke.
    • Raise your left arm above your head and push up as high as you can.  Feel the stretch down the left side of the body.  Hold for 30 seconds.  Repeat on the right.
    • Raise your right arm to the side, keeping at shoulder height.  Point your fingers towards the ceiling and push your palm away from your body.  Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on left side.
    • With your right hand by your side, point your fingers behind you with your palm facing up.  Push your right shoulder and wrist towards the floor, then make a fist.  Hold.  Repeat on the other side.
    • Keep your arms by your side and clench your fists as tight as you can, then spread your thumb and fingers as far apart as possible.
    • Let your arms hang loosely by your side and shake them for about 15 seconds.
     

  • Tips for Triathletes

    It is important to warm up properly before you perform any exercise, especially training for a Triathlon. A proper warm-up routine should last for a minimum of 10 minutes and is the most useful cause of helping prevent injury.

    • Start with a few minutes of gentle exercise, such as walking or jogging, to get the blood flowing to your muscles.
    • Steadily increase the pace until you are running briskly.
    • Once your muscles are warm, do some gentle stretching exercises, paying particular attention to the muscle groups that you will be using. With Triathletes, focusing on your legs and back is a good start. During the running and cycling stages, these will be key to your injury prevention. Make sure you warm your legs by the above process and then make sure all hamstrings, quads and calves are stretched well. You must only begin more vigorous activity after you have warmed up and stretched thoroughly.
      Also to recognise:
    • Always drink plenty of water when you exercise to prevent dehydration. If you become dehydrated, your physical and mental fitness will be altered.
    • Make sure you wear the proper attire for training and during the event. Lightweight breathable clothing can help prevent water retention in clothing creating more weight on the body.
    • Correct and secure footwear is also essential. Inspect the footwear before running, if worn in a particular angle, get new shoes. Continuing to run with this footwear can cause pronating or supinating of the angle. This could then lead to an ankle injury or potential ligament damage of the ankle.
    • Correct thickness and fitted socks to avoid blisters
      When you have finished exercising, cool down properly with 5–10 minutes:
    • Light aerobic activity, such as easy running, jogging or walking for a period of time
    • A gentle cool down will help remove the waste products that have built up in your muscles, leaving you with less muscle stiffness and soreness afterwards.
    • Some gentle stretching, focusing on the muscle groups you have used during exercise.
    • If you have exercised for a while a sports massage within 5 days after a vigorous work out, will help to remove the lactic acid (waste product) and prevent muscle stiffness and prevent injury or cause scar tissue on any affected areas of the body that could be in pain after a triathlon.

  • So how does massage help “tired” muscles?

    Many clients come to our clinics a few days after vigorous work outs or competing in sporting competition because their legs feel tried or heavy.  These clients often book a sports massage, but is their any scientific evidence to explain what is happening in the body during the treatment? Massage dilates superficial blood vessels and increases the rate of blood flow.  In addition if a deeper pressure is used like in sports or deep tissue massage on a healthy adult it improves the venous return.  Both of these changes to the blood flow represent a potent means to accelerate healing.  For example, it suggests that massage should improve the performance of fatigued muscles.  In addition, Goats asserts that massaged muscle fibres display less spasm, an increased force of contraction and enhanced endurance compared with muscles simply rested.  Which suggests that massage will assist in the improvement of sporting performance where it has been compromised. References Scull CD (1945) Massage - Physiologic Basis.  Archive of Physical Medicine 26: 159-67 Wilkins RW, Halperin MH, Litter J. (1950)  The effects of various physical procedures on circulation in human limbs.  Ann Intern Med 33: 1232-45 Goats GC (1994) Massage - the scientific basis of an ancient art: part 2.  Physiological and therapeutic effects Br J Sp Med 28(3)