Trigger point

Trigger point massage is my favorite massage for two reasons:

1)  I believe that, when done correctly it can have the most positive impact in the recipients day to day life.  Unlike some of the other massages that feel good and are just really relaxing, trigger point massages make a big dent in serious muscle pain.

2) It can be self administered!  (with the right tools)

If you would like a deeply technical and scientific explanation please visit, Wiki for as much long winded information as you could possibly want.  If you want a straight layman’s explanation and review, read on!

Trigger points are basically the “knots” you get and most people are familiar with, it is a tender/irritated nodule within your muscles that can be the root cause of pain in another part of your body.  There are over 600 known potential trigger points within a human body’s muscles!  Trigger points are brought on by all the normal life problems that brings many other health problems ie:

- stress

- poor diet

- dehydration

- lack of sleep

- bad posture

just to name a few.

A skilled practitioner will locate the trigger points and use deep, sustained pressure directly on the trigger points.  This will usually cause the muscle to relax, where upon the practitioner will stretch and extend your muscles around the trigger point to lengthen the muscles that have been drawn tight by the nodules.  As with all more aggressive massage techniques remember to drink plenty of fluids or you will end up in more pain than before the massage!

As I mentioned earlier, the great thing about trigger point therapy is that it can be self administered!  I myself use the Bodybackbuddy

You can also read my review of the Bodybackbuddy here.