Trigger points are sore, painful spots—also called knots—found in muscles. These knots are sensitive and when pressure is applied, it produces pain in a different part of your body. A trigger point massage helps work out those knots and reduce the pain associated with them.
Muscle knots can happen to anyone because they’re caused by injury, using your muscles too much or too little, and poor posture.
Fortunately, many people experience immediate relief after just one trigger point massage!
How does trigger point therapy work?
The objective of trigger point therapy is releasing or softening a muscle knot to reduce (or eliminate) the knot pain and associated pain. This release happens by applying various levels of pressure to muscle knots, and then stretching the affected areas through a complete range of motion.
Though the “map” of muscle trigger points and associated pain is complicated, the process of relaxing the trigger points is simple.
What to expect during and after your trigger point massage
In this type of massage, your massage therapist focuses on rubbing and pressing your muscle knots. You may experience both discomfort and relief throughout the massage. After your massage, you may feel tired and have some soreness for a day or two. On the other hand, according to the National Association of Myofascial Trigger Point Therapists, some people experience a boost in energy after trigger point massage.
