What Is Trigger Point Therapy in Vacaville
The word "myofascial" means muscle tissue wherein "myo" refers to the connective tissue surrounding and inside the "fascia." Trigger points form when the muscles are stressed or injured, wherein they resemble contracted knots that leads to pain and tightness.
Getting to the point of myofascial pain syndrome in Vacaville
Myofascial trigger points in Vacaville are a common cause of pain. When pressed on, trigger points can be painful since it causes a shortening of the muscle fibers that leads to something called referred pain. Referred pain means that the trigger point in one muscle can create pain in another area. So, if you have a shoulder trigger point, the pain can be referred to the side of the neck that can lead to a headache.
The muscles take up an average of 36-42% of the bodyweight, which is a significant amount to already make it have a corresponding impact on our health.
When the muscles are working properly, it allows us to perform our daily activities with ease. But once trigger points start to build up, we can experience a loss of normal function, physical limitations, and most of all, pain.
When a person is diagnosed with Myofascial Pain Syndrome or Chronic Myofascial Pain, it indicates that myofascial trigger points are the main source of symptoms. Trigger points can cause painful symptoms that are attributed with these conditions. They are sometimes called "the great mimickers."
There are instances when the muscles are under-treated for the cause of pain since there is no muscle specialty in the field of medicine. However, there is a specialist designated for other body parts including the eyes, heart, kidney, lungs, spine, etc. Myofascial pain or trigger point is often overlooked as the source of pain by those seeking relief.
How are trigger points formed?
Damage to the muscles and connective tissues can create trigger points in various ways, including:
- Poor posture due to de-conditioning, sedentary lifestyle, and a poorly designed furniture.
- Direct injury like a break, tear or twist.
- Emotional and mental stress causes muscle clenching and tensing.
- Repetitive overuse injuries from activities like typing, gardening, using smartphones, and working in a factory environment.
- Sustained inactivity like prolonged bed rest and sitting.
- Constant carrying and loading of items for a long period of time such as carrying boxes, carrying babies, heavy lifting, and lifting bedridden patients.
Trigger point therapy
Trigger point therapy uses applied pressure to the painful, sensitive areas to alleviate the pain on that site and to other areas of the body. Massage and trigger point therapy go together with each other. An active trigger point can cause muscle pain that can refer the pain and tenderness to other areas of the body especially when the trigger point is pressed. A "latent" trigger point is the one that does not produce any pain until they are pressed. This can bring about joint stiffness and a loss of range of motion as we get older.
Therapists will apply pressure on the painful trigger points to help the muscles and affected tissues to relax. When pressure is applied on the trigger point, it can bring about some significant discomfort, but it can also cause an odd effect of feeling good at the same time. Through this, you can experience some benefits from trigger point therapy, helping you move towards a pain-free life.
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Monday
8:30am - 1:00pm
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Tuesday
9:00am - 1:00pm
2:00pm - 7:00pm
Wednesday
8:30am - 1:00pm
2:00pm - 7:00pm
Thursday
9:00am - 1:00pm
2:00pm - 7:00pm
Friday
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Sunday
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Absolute Integrative Physical Medicine
1490 Alamo Drive Suite B
Vacaville, CA 95687