How to Treat Trigger Points for Muscle Relief ?

Trigger points are painful, and difficult to move muscle knots in your neck, shoulders, or back. We have some ideas for you to try at home to help you relax tense muscles quickly. When neck or back pain strikes, everyone wants trigger point relief as soon as possible. The presence of a dense, narrow knot of tissue in the diamond-shaped muscle in the upper back, shoulders, and neck is one cause of neck and back pain.

If you have pain or a dense knot in your upper back, shoulders, or neck that worsens when you press on it, you have most likely found a trigger point. Fortunately, there are home treatment options available.

What can cause trigger point pain?

Muscle tightness can cause trigger points and “knots” in your muscles. An activity or stimulus causes trigger point pain. The following factors can exacerbate trigger point pain:

Muscle Injury: A trigger point can develop as a result of an acute injury or strain on the muscle. Trigger points can be exacerbated by constant repetitive motion or poor posture.

Stress: People who are frequently anxious or stressed tend to clench their muscles, which can lead to strain and trigger points. Muscles that are constantly contracted are more prone to knot formation.

How can you get trigger point relief at home?

There are a few things you can do at home to relax the muscle and relieve pain.

• If pain occurs immediately after physical activity, apply an ice pack to reduce inflammation.
• If you have achy soreness that lasts for a long time, or if you wake up with sore muscles, try using a heating pad to help relieve muscle tightness.
• Massaging the trigger point may help to loosen the knot and relax the muscle.
• Muscle pain can be relieved by anti-inflammatories.
• Pay attention to activities that aggravate the trigger point and, if possible, avoid problematic actions. If an uncomfortably tight workspace is causing muscle tension, consider investing in a more ergonomic desk chair. Keep in mind that trigger points can occur as a result of both mental and physical stress.
• Include aerobic exercises that engage the neck and shoulder muscles in your routine. Stretching and warming the trapezius muscles with jumping jacks, stretches, or swimming can help to relieve muscle tension.
• Add in strengthening of postural muscles (ie mid back, rhomboids and latissimus dori) can help reduce tension in the trapezius

When must you see the doctor?

The majority of neck pain goes away in a few days or weeks. If home treatments fail to relieve your trigger points, it’s time to see your specialist for a medical evaluation and treatment. Find the professionals that have some of the best spine specialists in the area for treating trigger points. Muscle strain and stress can lead to a cascade of problems if left untreated, so it’s always better to treat pain sooner rather than later. Physical and massage therapy, along with trigger point injections as needed, can often target and relax stubborn trigger points and get you back on your feet.

Other treatment for pain relief

We mentioned some home treatments, but they are only applicable if it’s minor muscle stress. If the pain continues, you must consider other treatments too that includes:

• Medication
• Needle Injection
• Physical Therapy

Bottom Line 

So, if you live somewhere in or around Wake Forest and Raleigh and feeling a frustrating level of pain, contact the PhysioFit of North Carolina. Our therapists and consultants can help you with the trigger point relief options as per your need.