Trigger Point Therapy
Do you have that one area that always causes you pain? The twinge in your neck? When we have knots and trapped tension, the pain spreads to other areas of the body, known as referral pain. You may have not even noticed that the knots in your hamstrings are causing you low back pain, but by ignoring it – it will only keep spreading. That’s where trigger point therapy comes in..
What is trigger point therapy?
Trigger point therapy involves releasing trigger points using massage. The therapist will massage out tightness to help release any trapped nerves and tension, to help improve general mobility, alleviate pain and boost your quality of life. When there has been trauma or repeated pressure applied to muscle fibers, tension gets trapped, which over time causes pain, stiffness and tightness. This can reduce mobility and spread referral pain; which is when the surrounding joints and connective tissue become affected by the painful stimulus via the network of interconnected sensory nerves.
Unlike swedish massages, the primary goal of trigger point massages is to relieve pain, rather than to relax. So it is important to expect some level of discomfort during the session, in order to get the best results. Prior to the massage, the massage therapist will ask you to discuss the areas in your body that are causing you pain. It’s likely that they are all connected, caused by a specific stimulus or point of origin. By relieving tension using massage techniques like pressure, myofascial manipulation and deep breathing; the recipient will experience reduced pain after therapy.
What are the benefits?
As mentioned, the main benefit is the reduction and management of pain. For many individuals, this will give them a higher quality of life, by increasing their mobility, energy levels and mood.
A research supports this as a therapeutic treatment for chronic pain relating to myofascial tension, such as in the case of exercise related muscle soreness, postural imbalances and musculoskeletal conditions. Trigger point therapy will help you:
- Alleviate pain
- Prevent recurrence of referral pain
- Decrease headaches
- Increase your mobility and range of motion
- Increase sports performance
- Increase flexibility
- Improve your posture
- Decrease delayed onset muscle soreness
- Increase blood flow
The study examined trigger point research found that it was beneficial for alleviating tension headaches, by massaging the active trigger points in the upper trapezius, superior oblique, suboccipital and the other muscles that contribute to these types of headaches. Similarly, a randomized controlled trial (the gold standard of research) found that trigger point therapy was effective at reducing shoulder pain, particularly when the trigger point is compressed.
As you can see the benefits are extensive. Don’t live your life with pain, try trigger point therapy today. We are looking forward to helping you.
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Therapeutic massage spa in Houston that can help you recover from injury or even rejuvenate and obtain optimal health benefits for your day-to-day life.
