What Are Trigger Points?

What Are Trigger Points?

The concept of the trigger point starts with myofascial pain syndrome. This ailment produces discomfort in your muscles and occasionally in seemingly unrelated areas of your body when pressure is applied to sensitive places in your muscles. This is called a trigger point.

 

A trigger point is a highly sensitive area that can be felt as a nodule in the fascia of the musculoskeletal muscles' taut bands. It typically reacts with an unlocalized pain when the muscle is contracted. Usually, this disease develops after muscles have been repeatedly contracted.

 

Repetitive actions from occupations or hobbies and muscle strain brought on by stress can all contribute to this. Jump sign, local sensitivity, local twitch reaction, and referred pain can all be brought on by the muscles' contractions.

Symptoms of Trigger Points

• Persistent or worsening pain

• A muscle that is in deep aching pain

• Inability to sleep because of pain

• A sensitive knot in the muscles
  
   

Characteristics of Trigger Points

Jump Sign

The typical behavioral reaction of a trigger point under pressure is the jump sign. The sharp discomfort frequently catches people off guard. A response that seems out of proportion to the pressure applied causes them to flinch or scream.

They jerk the head, the shoulder, or another portion of the body that cannot be felt spontaneously. Thus, a jump sign depicts a trigger point's excessive tenderness. This symptom has been regarded as pathognomonic for trigger points.

Referred Pain

Referred pain, also known as reflective pain, is experienced away from the site of the contraction or compression. Pain can be replicated and does not follow nerve roots, myotomes, or dermatomes. Myofascial trigger point pain has a specific, distinctive, and continuous pattern that is unaffected by changes in gender or race.

 

Risk Factors 

The following elements may raise your risk of developing muscle trigger points:

 

Injury

Trigger points can form due to a recent muscular injury or ongoing muscle stress. For instance, a region within or close to a strained muscle could develop into a trigger point. Poor posture and repetitive actions might also raise your risk.

Anxiety and Stress

Trigger points in the muscles are more likely to form in people who feel stress and anxiety often. According to one idea, the persons may clench their muscles more frequently, a repetitive tension that makes muscles more prone to trigger points.

 

Treatment

Trigger Point Therapy

During trigger point therapy, a chiropractor or physical therapist applies and maintains pressure on your trigger points. Nitric oxide levels in the tissues increase due to the temporary interruption of blood flow to the tissue.

Nitric oxide tells your body to dilate microcapillaries, which are very tiny blood vessels, improving blood flow to assist in releasing the trigger point and breaking the cycle of pain-spasm pain.

Myofascial Release Therapy

Myofascial release is a different method that can benefit your trigger points and muscle knots. Myofascial release is a massage aiming to align your muscles' fascia appropriately. Your muscles will be able to move normally, and your circulation will be improved.