Trigger point therapy

[Kati]

Just curious.
Has anyone here been to trigger point therapy for painful muscle / tendon / ligament etc. conditions?

[moggy]

I know nothing about it I'm sorry- just looked it up and it seems feasible- the reluctance of the medical profession means little. I watched a programme on clubfoot a few days ago, where it appears that surgeons for decades wanted nothing to do with a newly proposed method of treatment, it appears for no other reason that it was a blow to their egos that there was a relatively simple treatment that made their extremely skilled operations, not necessary for most cases.

[Kati]

I've taken a course on using it on dogs a few years ago. Heard of good results also on humans. On painfull knees for example, when doctors haven't been able to define a reason for the pain. But I think not many doctors or physiotherapists know anything about it.
Would really like to hear experiences if anyone has.

[JP]

not quite sure but something similar has been done to me by an osteopath for my back, but is this the same thing though, as in he was applying big amounts of pressure to certain areas of my back muscles to cause them to release tension?

[Kati]

not quite sure but something similar has been done to me by an osteopath for my back, but is this the same thing though, as in he was applying big amounts of pressure to certain areas of my back muscles to cause them to release tension?

But no needles? (I like needles).
Did it work?

[JP]

yeah they use needles sometimes as well, but i thought thats acupuncture

just read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigger_point

so i have had both done, extreme pressure with elbow against my back muscles, and acupuncture. Both worked estremely well and helped to relieve my lower back muscles which were in spasm.

[fredrikw]

Whenever I've been getting a proper sports massage, trigger points has been the main focus. Don't know if this is common, but it has been from different masseurs each time. It's painful as hell, but a proper massage shouldn't really be enjoyable, at least not at the moment you're getting it

[Kati]

yeah they use needles sometimes as well, but i thought thats acupuncture

just read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigger_point

so i have had both done, extreme pressure with elbow against my back muscles, and acupuncture. Both worked estremely well and helped to relieve my lower back muscles which were in spasm.

But in TP therapy you can use needling for the trigger points. Hitting the same point repeatedly (painfull, animals need to be sedated at least which is not necessary for acupuncture usually) or also with injections to the point.

[Kati]

The wikipedia isn't that good I think. Here's a short abstract. There's quite many articles about this in medical journals if someone's more interested in the issue.


Med Clin North Am. 2007 Mar;91(2):229-39.
Painful conditions of the musculoskeletal system, including myofascial pain syndrome, constitute some of the most important chronic problems encountered in a clinical practice. A myofascial trigger points is a hyperirritable spot, usually within a taut band of skeletal muscle, which is painful on compression and can give rise to characteristic referred pain, motor dysfunction, and autonomic phenomena. Trigger points may be relieved through noninvasive measures, such as spray and stretch, transcutaneous electrical stimulation, physical therapy, and massage. Invasive treatments for myofascial trigger points include injections with local anesthetics, corticosteroids, or botulism toxin or dry needling.

[ultra_whippet]

Yeah I got taught about this in my massage course. I'm really prone to getting them in my traps so I have to self-administer trigger point therapy quite often. I'm pretty sure now that trigger points were the cause of the feelings of mild headache and sinus pain that I used to get when working at a computer all day.

[draco880]

I've had some myofascial stuff done on me and have done some on myself, which fits into many people's definition of trigger point work. I also discussed paralyzing some trigger points in my neck with one of my back doctors, but we decided not to. The myofascial stuff is good for getting some relaxation in stiff muscles, but it hurts (much) more than Somatics or NER, which get the same result. I pretty much only use trigger point stuff now when I'm stuck in a car for a long time or something.

[Arbela]

Digging this post up. There's a spot in my right trapezius that loves to spasm, which then leads to various other issues, from neck pain to tingling in the tips of my fingers.

I've switched my purse to the other side of my body, and I've taught myself to use the mouse with my left hand. Ultimately though, I need a series of appointments with a massage therapist. Until I manage that, I'll have to make do with a tennis ball. Muscle relaxers help, but who can function on that long term?

Anyone else have trigger point massage experience?

[DS]

I personally have used self-applied trigger point message to deal with all sorts of tendonitis, back, shoulder and other problems. It's really the only thing to have worked for me so far. I couldn't workout before using it.

I will post a link to what book I used as a new subject in this forum. It's called "Trigger Point Therapy Workbook". Although it's written by "just" a message therapist it's based on research done by medical doctors over several decades.

[Arbela]

I've heard good things about that book. It's at my local library but always on the wait list. Looks like I'll have to get in line.