Trigger Point Massage in Honolulu

Trigger Point Therapy: A Presidential Massage

Trigger Point Massage was popularized in the US by Dr. Janet Travell, President John F. Kennedy Jr.’s personal physician. Dr. Travell used Trigger Point Massage to treat the president’s back pain. You might say trigger point therapy is a “Presidential Massage”.

Trigger point massage therapy focuses on “trigger points” in muscles. These “points” send pain from the original location to other parts of the body. The massage therapist finds and presses trigger points to release pain. Trigger point release therapy is also called Neuromuscular therapy.

A trigger point is a tender, hyper-irritable spot in a damaged muscle that “triggers” pain and spreads it to other muscles. Located in a tight band of muscle fiber, a trigger point is the most sensitive point in the band. An experienced Honolulu massage therapist will put finger pressure on trigger points and disable them. Trigger point therapy may be used to locate spots that cause “referred” pain (pain felt in a body region other than the actual source). Trigger points develop in muscles over a long period of time, and it may take several massages to alleviate it.

Trigger points are sometimes caused by holding or moving the body in a particular way. A good massage therapist can help you identify the cause of the trigger point. The practitioner may suggest alternate ways to move to prevent the condition from recurring.

If trigger points are neglected, they can cause pain even when the injury has healed. The patient may have chronic headaches, back pain and neck pain for years following an injury, and not know why. Trigger points in muscles can be activated by stress, alcohol or drugs, overexertion, chemicals or excessive cold. When trigger points are activated, blood flow is restricted and muscles become tight, causing pain and spasms. This results in decreased flexibility and range of motion. It can also have a negative effect on posture, which exacerbates muscle pain.

Use Trigger Point Therapy To Melt Your Knots Away

Trigger point massage therapists may use their hands, and/or tools such as quad ballers, massage balls or baler blocks. These tools can help treat muscle knots by placing the right amount of pressure on the trigger points, releasing or “melting” the knot.