I highly recommend watching the movie Playing by Heart if you are in need of a
cathartic cry over love. I was watching
it the other night, just after talking with Kristi about the yuckiness of untreated
trigger points. In the movie, characters
getting frustrated or upset are called “angerballs” and I thought it a fitting
connection.
Trigger points are basically what we call
“muscle knots,” though the tissue is not actually knotted. A small bit of the muscle is contracted; a
tiny spasm or miniature cramp. These
little points can not only hurt in their location, but also can cause pain in
other areas. This phenomenon is called
“referred pain.”
Trigger point pain can refer to almost
anywhere in the body. Many of us have at
one time or another experienced tension headaches, an ailment that may be
caused by trigger points. This effect of
travelling pain can occur in almost any area.
The body is one connected unit and disorder in a specific area, such as
the jaw, ear, or even bowel, may be compounded by trigger points.
There are two types of trigger points:
active and latent. Active trigger points
causes pain at the site of the point as well as pain at another location in the
body. Latent trigger points are more
stealthy; they may simply restrict muscle movement or cause muscle weakness and
only be painful when pressure is directly applied to the point.
How do trigger points form? Research suggests that an injury to an area
of muscle or repetitive stress on the muscle can lead to the development of
trigger points. Surgical scars can
contain trigger points. They may occur
in an avid sportsperson or someone working in a call centre. Walking with a heavy backpack, holding a baby
on the hip or doing one too many bench-presses and a myriad of other activities
in our daily lives can predispose a person to these nasty little points.
There is clinical evidence that emotions can
affect muscles, but you can prove it to yourself right now, no white coat
required. Imagine that it has snowed
again and you are heading out in the -20 degree dark of the morning. Your brow is probably furrowed, your
shoulders hunched up and your lower back aches with the memory of shovelling
snow. Now, imagine yourself in a state
of happiness…you’re lying on a hot beach with a cold drink. How do your muscles feel? Your back is slowly softening into the sand,
you head lolls to the side and your limbs are like jelly.
Regardless of what caused the trigger point
to form, it is an angry little ball inside your skin. It is causing pain and affecting you in ways
that you may not even know. Left
untreated, it can cause more trigger points to be created and overload your
nervous system with messages of pain until your body is one whole angerball.
You may not know that you have trigger
points. They can feel like a poppy seed
or a frozen pea under the skin and it’s really only when they are touched that
you become aware of their existence. It feels
so good to have your massage therapist find these little spots and presses them
until the muscle releases. The massage
therapist is literally pushing your buttons.
Wouldn’t you love to have Devon or Ruth
squishing those trigger points away while John Mellencamp sings the chorus of
“Hurts so Good” in the background?
p.s. You can also ask Adam, the resident
acupuncturist, about treating trigger points with needles.
This blogpost was written by a rocking friend of Prana's, Leanne Garon. And 100% loved and approved by me!
