Pressure point treatment alleviates pain caused by pressure points, also known as trigger points. The treatment can be done by trained chiropractors and massage therapists, or you can treat yourself. Significant relief can be felt in minutes and many problems, even chronic conditions, can be eliminated, according to Janet Travell and David Simons, researchers and authors of the two-volume medical text, "Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual."
Identification
Pressure points are knots in the muscle fibers that feel like small peas buried deep in the muscles. They cause pain, tightness and weakness at the source of the knot. The constant contraction in the muscle fibers restricts circulation to the area, depriving it of essential nutrients and causing the build-up of toxins. They can develop in any of the 200 pairs of muscles in the body, says Clair Davies in "The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook."
Considerations
In addition to causing pain at the site of the knot, the tightness caused by pressure points can be felt in adjacent joints and the pain can refer to other locations, as well. For instance, the cause of neck pain and tightness is often due to trigger points in the back muscles. Pressure points in the trapezius muscles are a primary source of headaches and neck pain.
Effects
Pressure points are known to cause headaches, neck, jaw and low back pain. They are often the culprit behind carpal tunnel syndrome and the joint pain mistakenly diagnosed as arthritis, tendonitis and bursitis. Trammel and Simons say that trigger points can cause problems as diverse as "earaches, dizziness, nausea, heartburn, false heart pain, heart arrhythmia and tennis elbow". Furthermore, its effects can be attributed to sinus pain and congestion, chronic fatigue and lowered resistance to infections.
Significance
Trigger points affect everyone and are remarkably common. "No one escapes trigger points, not even children and babies," say Travell and Simons. In children and babies, symptoms of pressure points can include colic and bed-wetting.
Prevention/Solution
Once you know what to look for, or feel for, trigger points can easily be located and deactivated. Therapy works by applying steady pressure to the knotted muscle fiber, which stretches it and increases the circulation to the contracted tissue. Using your own hands and knuckles, you can apply pressure to certain points. For hard-to-reach spots, tools such as the Backnobber or the Thera Cane come in handy. Using leverage and minimal effort, they apply constant pressure to specific spots to get to the source of pain. The pressure will cause some temporary "good pain" to relieve the chronic "bad pain."
References
- "The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook"; Chair Davies; 2004
- American Pain Foundation: Healing Pain with Trigger Point Therapy
- Northwestern Health Sciences University: Trigger Point Release Therapy
