The Body Works - Trigger Point Therapy

My own theory is that they (TPs) are under nervous control from the brain. It is generally accepted that muscle contractions are under the control of the brain. Why would this be any different? If you were to cut the nerve feeding a spastic muscle it would instantly relax. I believe that the pressure temporarily interupts the nerve thereby allowing the muscle to relax. We then stretch the muscle to help restore normal muscle tone.
It is this combination of specific pressure and the stretching which are the hallmark of Trigger Point Therapy. It is one of the more effective theraputic techniques for cronic pain.

The above drawing illustrates the concept of refered pain, which has made so difficult to deal with in the past.

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Trigger point therapy is a bodywork technique that involves the applying of pressure to tender muscle tissue, called 'Trigger Points' in order to relieve pain and dysfunction. What are Trigger Points? The popular theory is that trigger points (TPs) are a small tangle in the muscle fibers that are tender when pressure is applied. These tangle are said to caused by lack of blood supply. Our clinical observations find that there is a lot more to it than just that. When you locate a TP, you will notice that there seems to be a small knot which feels like a small piece of nearly cooked spaghetti. The muscle in which it lies is often in a state of semi-spasm. Sustained pressure applied directly to the TP causes it to release and usually this, in turn, will cause the semi-spasmed muscle to relax. If it were, in fact caused by lack of circulation, then sustained pressure would only make it worse since pressure on a muscle restricts circulation. What may be more tellling as to the cause is the fact that TPs are all located where the nerve fiber enters the muscle tissue. Location of TPs is very predictable; if they are active, they are always in the same place. If they were caused by some chemical dysfunction (e.g. lack of oxygen) you might expect to see them more randomly distributed.	My own theory is that they (TPs) are under nervous control from the brain. It is generally accepted that muscle contractions are under the control of the brain. Why would this be any different? If you were to cut the nerve feeding a spastic muscle it would instantly relax. I believe that the pressure temporarily interupts the nerve thereby allowing the muscle to relax. We then stretch the muscle to help restore normal muscle tone. It is this combination of specific pressure and the stretching which are the hallmark of Trigger Point Therapy. It is one of the more effective theraputic techniques for cronic pain. The above drawing illustrates the concept of refered pain, which has made so difficult to deal with in the past.
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Michael Bogrees, LMT, 1288 Maize Court,<br> Columbus, Ohio 43229 . . . . . . . . (614) 832-4321
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