Does trigger point massage work for you?
Question:
My cousin recommended trigger point massage. I think I should see a chiropractor. Any suggestions?
Answers:
Trigger point therapy is excellent. However, it it more likely that a Massage Therapist trained in neuromuscular therapy and/or myofascial release, will be able to help you with this more than a chiropractor, as they general manipulate your vertebrae without too much attention to trigger points.
Often, the source of a 'knot' in your shoulder , is not your shoulder, but a muscle in your neck or your trapezius muscles.
If you would like to 'help yourself' with trigger points, take a look at this book, I got it 2nd hand on Amazon, and now TWO of my Massage Therapist friends have bought it, they think it's absolutely the best book on trigger points.
http://www.amazon.com/trigger-point-ther...
it is aimed at people who are willing to do it for themselves, as if like me you don't have $60 to go to a therapist everytime you get a trigger point, you can do it yourself in most instances.
Also, think about the underlying causes of such a pain - poor posture, slouching, sitting at a pc for hours etc. This book helps you figure it all out.
yes, see a chiropractor
yes
You need to lose the stress that is causing the knots.
as a migraine sufferer I love these massages and they help my headaches like nothing else has..i do not go to the chiro but the massage therapist does mine
I have had trigger point therapy by chiropractors and physical therapists. It has made me ill from the amount of toxins released, but the results haven't stayed with me either. I am finding that acupuncture works for me. Make sure that you drink enough water now matter what therapy you choose.
Talking about massages i think there great and that they are very beneficial but have u ever considered alternative therapys such as reiki or quantum touch its a form of energy therapy and its awesome i had it done on my knees i have stretched and twisted ligaments in my left knee and use to have to wear a metal knee brace i wore for 5 years. i still have some discomfort but i dont wear a brace no more and its not as painful as it use to be.
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Yes, trigger point works. It may help for more than the two days you get from the other massage.
What is really good if you can get the therapist to do it is tens unit therapy or iontophoresis. Both use small electric currents that run between two pads placed on either side of the trouble spot ( but NEVER across the chest )... tens makes the muscles contract and release, which loosens them.. Iontophoresis uses the same type of setup, but there is a cream on the pads, it's steroids of some kind. The electricity drives the med into the muscle. After 3 or 4 of these treatments my knots are gone for months.
You can get a tens unit to use at home, they are made by a company called Dr Ho. But I'd go to PT first to see if it works for you. Tens works great for me, but my husband says it does nothing, so better to try it out before spending $100.
Massages are great. Chiropractors are ok, but they are expensive and there is the risk of serious injuries. However I have found working out with some lightweigts, 5 pounds works good even, I do shouder shrugs, military presses and anything I can to work those shoulder muscles a bit and get the oxygen pumping through the blood. I also do yoga sometimes . The main thing here is to work the muscles and get oxygen flowing in the blood. Another thing, if Isit at a computer all day and dont stretch , That "knot" you described will come up on me. OH and if you are a big coffee drinker like myself, coffee is a diuretic and will strip your muscles of essential nutrients. Drink plenty of water, And keep those muscles moving.
Three recomendations. You need either Acupuncture,Physiotherapy, or someone who practises Shiatsu(Acu pressure).Trigger point massage is probably the same as Shiatsu.The other thing you could try is a magnet plaster. Do They sell "Leckiban" there?
try stretching your pect's (the muscles in your chest)... your trigger points usually only flare up when the muscle is overstretched...so you want to balance this out by loosening your pecs to take the strain off of your rhomboids (the muscles that are giving you problems) try standing in a doorway with your arms up in the "surrender" position and your hands holding onto the frame of the door... lean forward and feel the stretch in your pectoralis muscles.. do this a few times a day and it should help!
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