How many times have you heard the term ‘muscle knots’? The more technical term is myofascial trigger point. Our Oakville chiropractor will discuss what trigger points are, where they come from, and how they can be treated. At our Oakville chiropractic clinic we use a combination of Active Release Therapy and Trigger Point Therapy to help your patients in healing!
What Are Trigger Points?
Trigger points are tight bands of muscle that can become painful. These points are often small and in many muscles they can be easily felt. Although these points are small they can feel very irritable. Pushing on them can be quite painful! Applying pressure to a trigger point can cause pain in the immediate area, and can also cause pain at points away from the source. Each muscle has a unique, specific referral pattern.
Some trigger points are latent, meaning that it hurts to push on them but they don’t cause much pain on a daily basis. If these points are left untreated, they may become problematic and start causing dull pain. These points can be caused by an acute trauma, or more likely a chronic overuse issue that creates the tight, taut bands of muscle. When the trigger point becomes large enough, or has been present for long enough they can begin causing pain all on their own! This is often the point when people decide to seek treatment.
What Do Trigger Points Feel Like?
As we mentioned above, some trigger points are completely latent. You wouldn’t even know you have one unless you regularly did self-massage and felt a ‘knot’ or band of tight tissue. If these trigger points remain untreated they may become painful. The pain is often dull and can feel focal or widespread. Trigger point pain is often constant and nagging. Stretching may temporarily relieve the symptoms but soft tissue release therapy, like ART, are often more effective at treating trigger points.
When muscles are too tight, or have trigger points, they can restrict range of motion and cause painful movement. In more advances cases, trigger points can cause a feeling of weakness. For example, a trigger point in the rotator cuff muscles can result in a feeling of discomfort down the entire arm and even cause a feeling of weakness with lifting or moving the arm.
ART For Trigger Points in Oakville
ART is Active Release Therapy. ART is a manual therapy technique that relieves soft tissue tension. The therapist applies a deep pressure to the affected area, and then the muscle is actively moved into a stretched position. This treatment technique is used to restore movement, improve mobility and relieve muscle pain and tension.
When muscles are too tight, or have trigger points, they can restrict range of motion and cause painful movement. Targeted therapeutic pressure and simultaneous muscle movement is an extremely effective treatment technique.
Trigger Point Therapy in Oakville
Shockwave For Trigger Points Oakville
Our Oakville Chiropractors use Shockwave Therapy for trigger points for some of our more stuborn patients. The Doctors use a shockwave machine. which uses a pneumatic applicator to apply shock-like sensations to affected tissue. This therapy is quite intense, but very effective. The machine uses differently sized applicator heads depending on the size of the area being treated. The treatment can be uncomfortable, but it is quick! Shockwave application usually only lasts 1-2 minutes. Trust us, the results are worth it!
Acupuncture For Trigger Points Oakville
Another effective treatment for trigger points is acupuncture. Inserting a needle directly into a trigger point is very therapeutically beneficial. Acupuncture will significantly increase the blood flow to area around the needle, and this will boost the oxygen supplied to the muscle and help eliminate the trigger point. Acupuncture is painless and can be used to treat trigger points in most muscles. Learn more about Dr. Jenn and acupuncture treatment .