Trigger Points and Pain:

It is not uncommon to hear someone complain about having pain on their body specifically their muscles. It is also very common to hear many health practitioners of different scopes to say that the cause of these muscle pains is due to ‘trigger points’ or ‘knots’. But what are these ‘trigger points/knots’ exactly and how did they develop within the body? Can acupuncture effectively release or eliminate these ‘trigger points/ knots’?

In order to understand how ‘trigger points’ are formed; we will first look in simple way of how muscles communicate with each other. In a healthy muscle, the fibers and its nerve cell, communicate with each other in a clear fluid similar to water. This fluid is crystal clear in which the correspondences with other nerves are not hindered. The muscle fibers are also loose and relaxed, free to move without any restrictions.

When the human brain detects pain from an injury whether from overuse or trauma, the communication within the muscle system changes. The first change that occurs is the clear fluid described above responsible for communication, now changes to a sticky, glue- like protein-based substance. Due to its adhesive nature, the muscle fibers along with its fascia (muscle covering) rather than being free and loose, are now being pulled together causing adhesions from further injury. One way to do this is for the muscles to be contracted. Considering that the muscle is an external part of the body along with the skin, the contraction or tightening of the muscle can be seen to protect and prevent further damage/ injuries to both the bones and the internal organs.

One thing to note is that ‘trigger points’ can often refer pain to a different region of the body. This is due to the fascial planes found on the body. As it was covered in another article, fascial coverings of muscles are usually inter- connected with other muscle of the body. When one part of the fascia is affected or ‘pulled’, a corresponding but at a different region of the body can be affected. For example, if a ‘trigger point/ knot’ is found of the calf of the lower leg, there can be referred pain that goes down to the heel of the foot or a ‘trigger point/ knot’ found on the upper shoulder can refer pain to the back of the neck.

Acupuncture is the best way to release and get rid of ‘trigger points/ knots. It is safe because no chemical substances are injected into the body’s systems and often painless because the needles used in acupuncture are much thinner than the ones used in injections. Fast Relief Acupuncture has a developed a unique treatment system where these ‘trigger points/ knots’ can be released with long lasting effects! Rather than just treating the problem itself, the whole muscle along with the other surrounding muscles are treated with long lasting relief. With a specialized combination of modern treatment modalities, Fast Relief Acupuncture can make your ‘trigger points/ knots’ be a problem of your past! Call today to get the relief you deserve!