Trigger Points and Chiropractic Care
If you experienced having a tight muscle on your back that feels like a knot, then you may have trigger point. Trigger points are painful and if left untreated, loss of strength or reduced range of motion can happen. You will feel severe pain or referred pain patterns. Causes of trigger point are as follows:
- Sudden overloading of a muscle when having to take an unexpected weight.
- Repetitive strain like hunched shoulders, typing or poor posture.
- Increased tension of a muscle
Trigger point can be present in your body without showing any symptoms except for muscle stiffness. However, it can be activated by trauma to the muscle, emotional stress or physical cold. You will know if you have trigger point if you feel a burning or gripping pain or a heavy or dull ache. Although trigger point can cause pain, there is a way to treat this without any surgery. You can seek help from a chiropractor to alleviate the pain and treat trigger point. Chiropractic not only treats neck and back pain but trigger point as well.
A chiropractor will compare the side that has no pain and the side that has the trigger point. Once a chiropractor is sure on where the trigger point is, he will then choose a procedure he thinks will be suitable for the patient. There are 3 different techniques that a chiropractor can use.
- Finger pressure
- Spray stretch
- Dry needling
Finger Pressure
This is the most common method in treating trigger point. This is the method wherein the chiropractor applies pressure on the trigger point using the finger and thumb. This procedure allows the chiropractor to know if the muscle is responding. The trigger point will melt or disappear when the chiropractor applies pressure until the muscle relaxes. This is usually the first choice in treating trigger point because this is the least invasive.
Spray Stretch
This method includes spraying a cooling agent on the trigger point followed by stretching. This method is not often used because it requires less movement.
Dry Needling
This method of treatment involves especially made needles. These needles are very fine and solid just like acupuncture needles. The chiropractor will carefully and accurately insert the needle in the center of the trigger point. You may feel pain or prick either at the area where the trigger point is located or within the area of the trigger point. The ratio should be one needle for one trigger point and the session usually lasts 10 minutes.
During your chiropractic treatment, if your chiropractor finds that you have trigger points, this will be a part of your treatment. Your chiropractor will let you know how many treatments you will need but it usually last for 2 – 3 sessions but if the problem is more chronic, then it may require a longer period of treatment. If you have questions regarding chiropractic care and trigger points, visit the nearest chiropractic clinic in your area.
