1. WHAT IS A TRIGGER POINT AND WHAT DO THEY DO?
Trigger points are not the same as highly sensitive to pressure “tender points” in fibromyalgia. They are not the same as acupressure points which are blockages in the energy flow in the body’s pathways used in Acupressure or and not the same as pressure points which are used to stop the flow of blood to a wound. Trigger points are knots within any of the body’s 200 sets of muscle that has been “insulted” and feels relief when firm direct pressure is applied to it.
Trigger Point can be caused by repetitive overuse, soft tissue damage, strain or any thing that causes insult to the muscle. This also includes difficult births, sports and car accident injuries, poor posture, skeletal imbalance, disease. They can also be activated by psychological, physical stress, stomach ulcers, thyroid dis-function, to mention a few.
Trigger Points are nodules or contracted knots within the muscle strands of the muscle tissue that are a results of a complex process within the insulted muscle tissue. It involves both nerve impulses and biochemicals interactions that results in a build up and entrapment of calcium in these tiny sarcomeres within the TP that causes them to remain a contracted state. These over stimulated groups of sacomeres become unable to completely release their contractions.
The muscle fiber and trigger point (TP) together resemble a small snake that has swallowed an large bird’s egg. Except that the remaining fibers on both ends become thinner and stretched tighter then those of the other surrounding normal muscle fibers. This produces chronic muscle shortening, weakness and pain. This process expands within the muscle strands itself which increases the number of TPs and then spreads to the other adjoining muscles. Over a period of years many of the back and leg muscle shortening can put a constant stress on joints and verbra .
According to Authors Clair & Amber Davies, In their book The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, Drs. Travell and Simons believed that trigger points are the primary cause of the most of the muscle pain we suffer today. They thought that doctors who are unaware of this information about the effects of trigger points often misdiagnosed the reasons people are suffering pain. In studies quoted by Travell and Simons suggested that trigger points are a component of up to 93 percent of the pain seen in pain clinics and the sole cause of such pain as much as 85 percent of the time.
2. HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TRIGGER POINTS?
One indication you may have a TP is usually a long repeated pain in the same spot or muscle. It is muscle pain that is experienced on a consistent place and fairly regular basis especially after doing certain types of stressful activities. They may be caused by a car accident or falls or repetitive activities, like just sitting for long periods working at a computer or muscle strain from shoveling snow or dirt. Anything that insults the muscle It can happen when we stand and work with our head bent downward that activates our TPs between the shoulders blades, upper mid back and neck.
The pain may sometimes feel like a hot burning sharp pain between our shoulder blades. At other times it be just deep achy pain. Trigger points pain can manifest as stiffness when you wake up. Always see a muscle specialist to confirm what the source of your pain really is. I found Certified Massage Therapists (CMT) who do trigger point therapy or deep tissue work to be very knowledgeable.
I have found that Self TP Therapy to compliment other types of treating muscle pain very well. I have used it with both deep tissue massage therapy and chiropractic adjustment with great success. Using the TPPE both before and following other forms of treatments were highly effective in getting better results that also help them last longer.
3. HOW DOES TRIGGER POINT THERAPY WORK?
When asked why pressing on the trigger point worked? Dr, Travell replied “You are denying the trigger point oxygen.” However author John Sharkey in his book The Concise Book of Neuromuscular Therapy describes how trigger points are created in a much more detailed scientific and complex process. It involves a build up of excess calcium in the sacomeres of the muscle tissue. Along with other factors, that causes it to remain in a state of contraction.
When direct pressure is applied to the trigger point this over powers the energy that is maintaining the contraction which is caused by a build up of excess calcium and releases it. This causes sacomeres within the TP to release this excess calcium and this allows the muscle to return to it’s more relaxed natural state.
4. HOW DOES ONE DECIDE WHICH TRIGGER POINT DEVICE IS BEST?
That’s not easy when you are just starting out because there are alot of choices out there. Each is promising to do the job. When I began searching for some way of treating my own TPs, I tried all kinds of self treating TP devices and found while most worked to some degree I discovered a number of problems with each of them.
There is a natural tendency to go with the cheapest made in China TP device we can find. However it often turns out they don’t serve us very well and they get discarded. Most require too much effort to use them. They may not work well or reach all areas of the body. Their knobs may be too large, too short in order to penetrate multi-layers of muscle tissue.
To make it easier I have included some information
GUIDE LINES FOR SELECTING A TRIGGER POINT DEVICE
1. WHAT IS THE METHOD OF APPLYING PRESSURE WHEN USING FOR THIS DEVICE AND DOES IT REQUIRE MUCH PHYSICAL EFFORT IS NEEDED TO USE IT?
A. Direct pressure devices held in one hand have a limited range on the body in which you can use them. These require more physical exertion in order to apply direct pressure to your TPs. This requires a good amount of hand strength in order to grip the knob and enough arm muscle in order to maintain the necessary constant pressure while treating the TP. These types of devices have limited range because of control and placement challenges. If they have short multi points they have will have low penetration capabilities need for trigger point work. They are used mostly in a sitting position.
B. Leverage pressure devices that require using both hands in order to use them. These require less energy than the direct pressure devices but still require quite a bit of effort. Their effective body range is limited when compared with the Trigger Point Pain Eraser or TPP Lever. Since their handle portion is round it is hard to grip and control. These devices are usually are the “J” or “S” shaped TP devices which uses leverage like a hammer pulling a nail. They require a lot of upper body muscles exertion. This “hook shape” of these devices limits them as true leverage device because of its rigid and unadjustable anchoring ability. Their large single knob were too big for deeply layered TPs work. Most trigger Point size range around 1/16″ to 1/4″ in diameter wide. These are mostly used in sitting position.
C. Using a flexible anchored point leverage pressure device that uses primarily the weight of hands and arms to apply pressure to the TPs. It works on ratio of a 1 to 5, meaning that for every pound of pressure you apply on the TPPL handle you get 5 pound of pressure to the TP. It has a flexible anchoring method which allows you to reach a wide range of TPs over most areas of the body but particularly the difficult areas like neck, shoulders, arms, hands, legs. thighs, armpits and groin. The TPPL has a double knob with a rotating head, a neoprene cover is optional. It is more stable, flexible and offers more pressure with less exertion. It can be used while lying down, sitting and standing.
D. Using passive body weight method TP device that uses you own body’s weight to apply pressure to several areas such as the entire neck, back, hip, buttocks, thighs, legs, feet, arms and hands. This is passive pressure TP device has several advantages over A,B,C, TP devices. 1. It allows the TP muscle to relax more deeply while being treated.
2. The more relaxed all the muscles are in and around the TP the more easily and deeply the knobs can penetrate into multi-layers of muscles which need pressure.
3, Requires less physical exertion to use than other TP devices. It allows you to experience similar feelings of muscle relaxation and pain relief as when you do when experiencing a professional deep tissue massage by a therapy.
2. HOW MANY AREAS OF THE BODY WILL I BE ABLE TO COMFORTABLY REACH AND TREAT WITH THIS TP DEVICE?
A. Head and neck B. upper, mid & lower back C. hips & buttocks D. front, side & back of thighs E. knee & lower leg F. ankles & feet G. chest & stomach H. shoulders & upper arms I. Lower arms & hands
3. WILL THE SIZE OF THE TP DEVICE KNOBS ALLOW FOR BOTH LARGE DEEP MULTI LAYER MUSCLES TPs AND TINY NECK MUSCLE TPs?
A. Most roller type devices have No knobs needed for treating specific Trigger Points within each muscle and especially multi layers TPs.
B. Ball Shaped Devices have too many short knobs which are not effective in applying deep pressure to specific TPs. These devices are usually unstable and roll off the TP when pressure is applied.
C. J & S shape devices with large single knob do not penetrate multi-layers of muscle very easily. Their treatment areas on the body are limited. Their mobility is also limited as to where you can use them such as home, office or while traveling, lying down, sitting or standing. They can often require alot of effort to use them.
D. Double knobs covered with hard rubber inserted into holes in flat broad. These removable hard rubber edges often feel like they are cutting into your skin. and need to change position often. If made of wood they can swell making pulling these pegs out difficult. Inserting and removing these peg can wear out the ends of the pegs and then begin to easily fall out .
E. Double 3/4″ Round wooden knobs on a rotatable base with a soft removable neoprene. To change knob position simply rotate the knob base. It is easy to change knob cover which allows for both deep penetration into big muscles or used to apply a well padded pressure into small ones such as head, neck or hand.
4. HOW MOBILE IS THIS TP DEVICE AND CAN IT BE EASILY CARRIED AND USED IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND POSITIONS?
A. Home F. Lying down
B. Work H. Sitting
C. Theater or Travel I. Standing
D. Camping
E. Hiking or walking
5. HOW STABLE IS THIS TP DEVICE WHEN PRESSURE IS BRING APPLIED TO DIFFICULT OR HARD TO REACH BODY AREAS.
A. Bottom of feet
B. Back of thigh
C. Back of thighs or legs
D. Under arms or back of upper arms
E. Hand and fingers
F. Outer thighs and hips
6. CAN I USE MORE THAN ONE THESE TP DEVICES AT THE SAME TIME ON DIFFERENT PARTS OF MY BODY IN ORDER TO SPEED UP MY SELF TREATMENT?
I have wide range of TPs located all over my body so I used two or three or four TPPE at the same time in one session fairly often. It is very simple just place them under the body and relax into the pressure. For a person with a wide range of chronic TPs this can be a real time saver.