Myofascial trigger points were popularised by the work of Janet Travell (personal physician to John F. Kennedy) and her associate David Simons in the 1950s. They are hyper-irritable regions within skeletal muscle that tend to be tight and painful on palpation.
When “active” they generate certain predictable referral patterns of pain and dysfunction. “Inactive” trigger points may still elicit pain on pressure, but are not actively contributing to a current pain condition.
The referral patterns created by trigger points are interesting. Mostly pain is associated with these patterns, either in the region of the point or nearby area. Then there are some muscles that can contribute to unusual symptoms such as:
Dizziness
Nasal congestion
Abdominal bloating & nausea
IBS
Painful periods
Pelvic pain
Frequent urination
And more…
Various methods of soft tissue treatments exist to treat trigger points. When using needles directly in the points, we call it “dry needling”, “trigger point acupuncture” or “ashi acupuncture”. Motor point acupuncture and distal acupuncture may also be used to help restore healthier muscle tone.
If you would like to try trigger point acupuncture or dry needling in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, consider Acupuncture Grove in Bondi Sydney. Servicing areas such as Bondi Junction, Bondi Beach, Coogee, Clovelly, Bronte, Waverly, Randwick, Maroubra, Double Bay, Watson's Bay, Vaucluse and surrounding Sydney suburbs. You can book online here or reach out with any questions here.
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