Trigger point therapy refers to the trigger points created in the muscle. The trigger points are caused by reduced blood circulation in the affected muscle, either through restricted movement, staying too long in one position while working at a desk or doing overhead work. The affected muscle shortens to such an extent that the blood circulation is no longer guaranteed, thus reducing the metabolic process.
Deposits can no longer be sufficiently removed, resulting in muscle hardening. If these hardenings are not treated, trigger points occur, whereby the myosin head and the actin filament (smallest unit in the muscle), which perform a “rowing stroke” to achieve muscle contraction, stick together. Trigger points are found at various points in the muscles throughout the body, but more often in the more heavily loaded muscles.
The trigger points are either painless, but irritable due to the therapy, or you can feel a burning sensation at a very active trigger point. In trigger point therapy, the therapist detects the point and holds it with his thumb. On a pain scale of: 0 is no pain and 10 is a pain that is no longer bearable, the patient should indicate the limit of 7.
The therapist reaches the pain point 7 by the increasing pressure in the trigger point. When he has reached this point, the pressure is maintained until the patient feels a decrease in pain. This can take up to 2 minutes.
Fields of application
Trigger point therapy is a part of physiotherapy and serves to eliminate the painful areas in the muscles. Since trigger points can arise in any muscle in the body due to incorrect strain, the area of application is very large. The most common and most affected area is the shoulder and neck muscles with the trapezius muscle, rhomboid muscle and the back extensor.
This musculature is most affected because there is often an imbalance between tension and relaxation at work. This is mainly caused by sedentary work at a desk, but also by working overhead, where the muscles are under constant tension. The muscles are often too weak to compensate for the constant strain.
The lack of blood circulation leads to a reduced metabolism, which causes deposits to accumulate in the muscles. As already mentioned above, trigger points continue to occur. In addition to the often affected shoulder and neck muscles, there can be many trigger points in the legs, depending on the activity.
Particularly with competitive athletes or with very active work, increased trigger points are found there. Due to the trigger points, the performance can be reduced, which is improved by the treatment. Especially active trigger points, which have an increased burning sensation, should be treated quickly.
