If you’re experiencing musculoskeletal pain, your doctor can recommend many pain relief methods. Trigger point therapy can relieve tight knots that develop in muscles.
Trigger points are sensitive areas that form when you overuse and strain your muscles. They can also come from a severe injury that leads to muscle trauma. Read on to find out when you should consider undergoing trigger point therapy.
Conditions That Benefit From Trigger Point Therapy
Trigger point therapy relieves pain by applying pressure to release tight knots using a dry needling method. It involves inserting a very thin needle into the middle of the knot in order to release tension and tightness.
Trigger point therapy can relieve muscle pain from tight knots that restrict blood flow into the affected area. Doctors usually recommend the treatment when conservative remedies have failed. These treatments include:
- I.C.E. method (rest, ice, compression, and elevation)
- Pain relief medicines
- Physical therapy
Your provider may perform trigger point therapy in conjunction with other treatments.
Chronic Illnesses And Other Conditions
Pain occurs when the muscles and tissues near the trigger point tighten. They can develop from continuous muscle strain, injury, or trauma. They usually affect the arms, legs, neck, and back. Sometimes, touching or pinching the trigger point can cause pain in another body part.
Conditions such as fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome can benefit a lot from this therapy. Both conditions cause painful sensations, but they are distinct from each other.
Fibromyalgia causes whole body pain because of more trigger points. Myofascial pain syndrome causes pain in one body part or side. If left untreated, myofascial pain syndrome can develop into fibromyalgia.
Aside from muscle pain, trigger point therapy can help with headaches, migraines, and shoulder and knee pain. The treatment is also beneficial for symptoms and side effects of:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Arthritis
- Herniated discs
- Sciatica
- Temporomandibular joint disorders
- Plantar fasciitis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Some cancers
Athletic Performance
The active lifestyle of athletes makes them prone to straining and overusing their muscles. That’s why they need to take care of and condition their bodies well.
Trigger points can restrict an athlete’s mobility and induce muscle weakness and fatigue. These things can negatively affect their performance.
The therapy helps release tension and improve blood circulation in trigger points through trigger point therapy. This can help contribute to better performance when athletes play. Trigger point therapy can heal muscular imbalance and speed up recovery from injuries, too.
Finally, trigger point therapy can refine body posture, improve flexibility, and enhance mobility.
Lifestyle
Trigger points may develop from poor habits. They are most likely to occur if you’re experiencing the following:
- Deficiency in nutrition or vitamins
- Anxiety and stress
- Sedentary
- Poor posture
Once you develop trigger points and muscle pain, you may need trigger point therapy for your condition for effective, long-term relief.
When You Shouldn’t Use Trigger Point Therapy
Trigger point therapy brings a lot of benefits, but it’s not for everyone. Doctors don’t recommend pregnant women undergo this treatment. You may also need to secure medical approval first if you are taking blood thinners or have recently undergone surgery.
Trigger Point Therapy in Austin, Texas
You can develop trigger points or tender and painful bumps from overusing and straining your muscles. These points affect the surrounding muscles and tissues, but you can ease the pain with trigger point therapy.
Doctors recommend this treatment for chronic musculoskeletal conditions like fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome. It can also help treat other illnesses like arthritis, nervous system disorders, and side effects of some cancers. Some people may be more prone to developing trigger points, like athletes and people living a sedentary lifestyle.
Let us help treat your trigger points! Endeavor Physical Therapy & Wellness offers physical therapy services, like trigger point therapy and dry needling. Consult one of our licensed physical therapists to get started on relieving your muscle pain.
Call us at (512)-886-7110 or set up an appointment online with a PT near you. We have physical therapy clinics in Austin, Manor, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Kyle, Bee Cave, San Marcos, and Hutto.
