Hidden Trigger Points

Sometimes locating resistant trigger points is a game of "hide and seek." Skeletal muscles occur in layers. Some are deep and some are more superficial, some muscles are large and some are small. Some muscles have the job of operating gross motor movement, like walking, throwing, and lifting, and some are responsible for fine meticulous tasks, like writing and maneuvering silverware.

Untreated myofascial trigger points (TrPs), depending upon the structures they are located next to, like nerves, lymph vessels, or blood vessels, can be the cause of a myriad of other symptoms besides pain and restriction of motion.

Trigger points sometimes lurk in muscles that aren't easy to find. This is when the real hide and seek game begins. It is now a matter of locating them in order to treat them. This is because you can't directly feel the taut band of muscle or the lurking knocked up trigger points in the muscle. You have to find these little buggers by the problems they cause and by tracing them back from their symptom referral pattern. This is the ONLY way to find hidden myofascial trigger points.

There helpful self-treatment books available, thanks to those who have taken the time to provide them. Clair Davies does a wonderful job of helping people with chronic myofascial pain self-treatment in his book The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, as does Dr. Hal Blatman in his book The Art of Body Maintenance: Winners' Guide to Pain Relief:

The links section of this website has many useful resources including how to locate these books and treatment tools, such as the theracane.

Good luck and "HAPPY HUNTING".