Trigger Point Therapy

If you suffer from pain caused by tightened muscles, you’ve probably tried pain medication, topical pain relief creams and other remedies to ease your discomfort. These may provide temporary relief but fail to correct the problem and usually  just mask the pain you feel. You may have received massages that make you feel better temporarily, only to have the pain return later even worse than before.

Many people suffer from mid/upper back pain, especially those who sit or work at the computer all day. Some experience numbness traveling down to their hand and wrist area. Most want to have their back and neck  “rubbed” to relieve the pain, yet after the session, the pain is still  there.

Even though a muscle feels tight, it may not be the one that needs  attention. Muscles can feel tight to the touch from being shortened as well as lengthened. The shortened muscles will pull on other muscles, making the opposite side of the body lengthen in most cases. The side that is lengthened is usually the area where you feel pain.

If you feel discomfort in your mid back when sitting up straight,  you may be flexing weakened muscles. This causes a burning sensation which makes it more comfortable to hunch over with rounded shoulders. Massaging the back causes those muscles to relax and therefore stretch out even further, which affects the shortened muscles making them even tighter, which is most likely the problem area.

The numbness you might feel, in this case in your hands and wrists, could be muscular related. This is called a “pain referral.” Muscles can send a “pins & needles” sensation to other parts of the body. Once the muscle causing that sensation is located, the same numbness or soreness that you experience will be recreated, and can be alleviated by a method called “Trigger Point Therapy.”

Other areas of expertise include: Myofascial Release and Neuromuscular Therapy.