What is a myofacial trigger point? And what effect can it have on your health?
Often I am asked this question by my patients- as almost all patients suffering from pain and dysfunction (stiffness, weakness, etc) will have some trigger points.
Here are some quick things you should know about trigger points:
1. They will cause your body to move poorly & inefficiently- causing weakness, fatigue, pain and eventual breakdown
2. They can indirectly be responsible for pain throughout the body by hard-wiring your body for pain
3. They quite often cause headaches
4. Most importantly, they are painful!
5. Yes, fortunately, they can be eliminated
Ok, but what is a trigger point?
A myofacial trigger point, or mTP, is a taut band of tissue that is irritated and hypersensitive, commonly referring pain when provoked. These trigger points can be found throughout the body anywhere that there are muscles. Stressors (-poor posture, overwork, painful joints or arthritis, etc.) on the body commonly produce these mTPs through what is likely poor blood flow throughout the muscle area. If a muscle that is being overworked, has decreased blood flow and therefore decreased oxygen to produce the necessary work- this deficiency will cause pain and further despair in the muscle.
Your body will sense this hyper-irritable muscular area and release a host of painful chemicals into the involved area- activating your body's pain receptors. Sending that pain to your brain, your brain will recognize that a painful crisis exists and be put on alert. Unfortunately, your brain ramps up its response to pain. Meaning that something that previously was not painful or minimally painful, will now have an increased likelihood to cause pain. This is called allodynia and hyperalgesia. And sadly, even if this muscle is perhaps in the neck, it can increase the pain sensitivity in other parts of the body as well, such as areas as far away as your feet and legs. Not good, eh?
Well, what can be done? Stay tuned... for Part II.
Often I am asked this question by my patients- as almost all patients suffering from pain and dysfunction (stiffness, weakness, etc) will have some trigger points.
Here are some quick things you should know about trigger points:
1. They will cause your body to move poorly & inefficiently- causing weakness, fatigue, pain and eventual breakdown
2. They can indirectly be responsible for pain throughout the body by hard-wiring your body for pain
3. They quite often cause headaches
4. Most importantly, they are painful!
5. Yes, fortunately, they can be eliminated
Ok, but what is a trigger point?
A myofacial trigger point, or mTP, is a taut band of tissue that is irritated and hypersensitive, commonly referring pain when provoked. These trigger points can be found throughout the body anywhere that there are muscles. Stressors (-poor posture, overwork, painful joints or arthritis, etc.) on the body commonly produce these mTPs through what is likely poor blood flow throughout the muscle area. If a muscle that is being overworked, has decreased blood flow and therefore decreased oxygen to produce the necessary work- this deficiency will cause pain and further despair in the muscle.
Your body will sense this hyper-irritable muscular area and release a host of painful chemicals into the involved area- activating your body's pain receptors. Sending that pain to your brain, your brain will recognize that a painful crisis exists and be put on alert. Unfortunately, your brain ramps up its response to pain. Meaning that something that previously was not painful or minimally painful, will now have an increased likelihood to cause pain. This is called allodynia and hyperalgesia. And sadly, even if this muscle is perhaps in the neck, it can increase the pain sensitivity in other parts of the body as well, such as areas as far away as your feet and legs. Not good, eh?
Well, what can be done? Stay tuned... for Part II.
RSS Feed