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Trigger Point Release

Massage yourself for pain free living

Trigger point therapy can provide dramatic relief from many pain symptoms.

Everyday pressures and stresses, overused injuries in athletes, whiplash trauma and conditions like fibromyalgia or arthritis can produce muscular or "soft tissue" pain often characterized by what many medical professionals call "trigger points." Trigger points can present themselves as referred patterns of sensation such as sharp pain, dull ache, tingling, pins and needles, hot or cold, as well as can create symptoms such as nausea, ear ache, equilibrium disturbance, or blurred vision. These small, hyperirritable sites in the muscle tissue sometimes refer pain to other locations as in headaches or sciatica.

While we recommend professional treatment for pain caused by the existence of trigger points, the effectiveness of the therapy is often improved when combined with self treatment. When going to a therapist for treatment, be sure to talk to them about home treatment, at the end of the session have them show you the location of the primary and satellite trigger points they identified. They may be able to draw them on a body chart to assist you in locating them at home. We have even heard of therapists marking them with a marking pen on the clients body. Due to the location of trigger point the use of tools can be very helpful in the conducting trigger point release on yourself. We have a fine selection of high quality massage tools many designed for trigger point release. The Healthy Body Ball, Backnobber II, and the Pressure Pointer were specifically designed to assist you in treating trigger point on yourself.

Trigger Point Therapy may be the answer. It is a type of massage therapy which examines and treats muscles and muscle attachments in layers. It addresses surface muscles and connective tissues and deeper ligaments and connective tissues. It is closely aligned with the eastern technique of acupressure massage. The treatment techniques are very similar, the guidelines for applying acupressure apply to most Trigger Point Release applications.

Acupressure and Trigger point release continue to be the most effective methods for self-treatment of tension-related ailments.

How do you Start

You are looking for sore areas. If a point is sore, it needs work. You should feel sour or numb, but not knife-cut like pain when pressing. The Trigger points are usually between or beside the bones and tendons or ligaments, on in a depression, never on the bones or blood vessels. If a point is not sore, leave it alone. Finger pressure will work but most people get a better Healing Response using Trigger point tools. They allow more pressure to be applied with less work, stress and potential damage to the massager. If a point is very sore, press only as hard as you can tolerate do not overdo it this is not a contest. You must be the judge on this. Light pressure for a longer period will give you the same results. Some people who are larger or less sensitive than others, may need more pressure to activate the healing response.

Treatments have a cumulative effect. Sometimes lasting results are immediate, but most often it takes a while. Each time you activate the healing response it brings the system closer to normal. If you do not get a response quickly you can increase the frequency of treatment. Increasing frequency is more effective then increasing the duration of treatment.

Three or four times a day or even once an hour is OK. It does not mean that the treatments are not working if the pain comes back. This is normal. Eventually you will reach a point where the pain does not return.

Each body - and each area of the body - requires a different amount of pressure. If it hurts a great deal when you apply pressure on a point, then use light touch instead of pressure. The calves, the face, and genital areas are sensitive. The back, buttocks, and shoulders, especially if the musculature is developed, usually need deeper, firmer pressure. Because certain areas of the body, such as the back and shoulders, are hard to reach, I recommend the BackNobber II or the Healthy Body Ball these are both serious tools well designed for acupressure therapy and trigger point massage.

Simple Neck and Shoulder Self Treatments

You can work most of the important Trigger points in this area by simply searching them out with your fingers. As you press into these areas, you are looking for the most tender or tense areas. When you find them, squeeze or press gently but firmly in the area until you feel a change in the pain response, then move on. To begin, it is best to lie on the floor or lean back in a high backed chair or sofa. Do a quick focused breathing exercise and use your thumbs to press gently and firmly into the muscles all along the base of the skull. Begin behind the ears and move toward the spine, exploring the area with your fingers. Still breathing deeply, return to the most tense or sensitive points, press and hold until you feel the muscle soften, tension ease or pain release.

Now find the most tense places in the the back of the neck by rubbing across the muscles, one hand on either side of the spine, beginning under the skull and moving down to the shoulder. Find the most tense places there. Continuing to breathe deeply, press and hold. Moving down, cross one arm over the chest and squeeze all along the big muscle (trapezius) across the top of the opposite shoulder. Again, use your fingers to feel for the tensest or most sensitive point and breathing deeply, press and hold until you feel a release. Repeat on the opposite side. Now drop both arms to your sides, breathe, and imagine your skull is as heavy as a bowling ball, and is completely cradled by the surface on which it rests. If you are returning to activity, imagine your head being gently lifted and slowly move your neck and shoulders, and come back to the day to day world

Several different kinds of Trigger point release are currently practiced, although the similar trigger points and referral pattern are found in all of them. Varying rhythms, pressures, and techniques create different styles of acupressure, just as different forms of music use the same notes but combine them in distinctive ways.

Large Muscle Groups:

We'll use the following techniques in the exercise below. Firm pressure is the most fundamental technique. Use thumbs, fingers, palms, the side of the hand, or knuckles to apply stead; stationary pressure. To relax an area or relieve pain, apply pressure gradually and hold without any movement for several minutes at a time. One minute of steady pressure (when applied gradually) calms and relaxes the nervous system, promoting greater healing. To stimulate the area, apply pressure for only four or five seconds. Slow motion kneading uses the thumbs and fingers along with the heels of the hands to squeeze large muscle groups firmly.

The motion is similar to that of kneading a large mass of dough. Simply lean the weight of your upper body into the muscle as you press to make it soft and pliable. This relieves general stiffness, shoulder and neck tension, constipation, and spasms in the calf muscles. Quick tapping with fingertips stimulates muscles on unprotected, tender areas of the body such as the face. For larger areas of the body, such as the back or buttocks, use a loose fist. This can improve the functioning of nerves and sluggish muscles in the area. Obviously this type of massage would be difficult to apply to yourself. But with the proper tools you can treat most of your body's locations effectively.

Trigger point release for the Foot

If you're pressing a point on your foot, for instance, bend your leg and apply pressure by slowly leaning forward. Using the weight of your upper body (and not just your hands) enables you to apply firm pressure without strain. Direct the pressure perpendicularly to the surface of the skin as you take several long, slow, deep breaths. Hold for a few minutes until you feel a regular pulse or until the soreness at the point decreases. Then gradually release the pressure, finishing with a light, soothing touch. Each body-and each area of the body-requires a different amount of pressure. If it hurts a great deal when you apply pressure on a point, then use light touch instead of pressure.

To learn more about utilizing acupressure on your own, Self applied acupressure

For a review of other types of massage click here