A Trigger Point is a pressure-sensitive area of tight muscle fibers can form in your muscles after injuries or overuse. These often feel like painful little marbles or knots just under your skin that can also limit range of motion.
A trigger point in a muscle can cause strain and pain throughout the muscle. When this pain persists and worsens, the medical establishment calls it myofascial pain syndrome. Trigger Points found in your skeletal muscles where your body has the potential to store that stress-energy for a long period of time. These are the locations on your muscles that exhibit extraordinary sensitivity, and in some cases, may become so stressed that they produce limited movement, stiffness, and pain.
Trigger points can occur anywhere in the body but are most common in the neck, shoulders, back, and hips. Dentists and those suffering from facial pain may also be familiar with facial trigger points. Everyone may get them, although some individuals get a greater amount or have more discomfort from them.
Trigger points and other myofascial pains are benign, but the pain they cause can be intense and debilitating. Massage is often used to release these knots – but the process can be slow and painful. Luckily, lighting trigger points with Red & Near-Infrared light is a simple, non-invasive way to release those tight spots and alleviate pain quickly.
As with any other therapy – the more you can target the problem, the faster it can be resolved. We have found that illuminating trigger points – as close to the “knot” as possible works faster than using a less focused light such as a pad, lamp, panel, or bed. When using a Torch or Laser – with or without a fiber-optic probe – tighten your beam as much as possible. Light each trigger point for roughly 30 to 60 seconds, or until you feel the muscle relax.
Athletes who proactively light Trigger Points before and after workouts experience faster warm up and easier recovery from workouts.
For Massage Therapists combining targeted Light Therapy (a.k.a. Photopuncture) with their sessions, lighting up Trigger Points BEFORE starting to massage, speeds results and offers much less pain during the session.
Dentists activating Trigger Points for those dealing with TMJ tightness and pain will find that their patient’s jaw can open further during their session and the patient will experience fewer painful after effects from dental care.
Trigger Points and Acupoints often overlap. Don’t get to concerned about which you are lighting. Find the painful knot – or point – and light it up. It can’t hurt and it can really help – FAST!
Want to learn more about using Targeted Light for Trigger Point research? Laakso, E. L., Liisa Laakso, E., Richardson, C., & Cramond, T. (1997). PAIN SCORES AND SIDE EFFECTS IN RESPONSE TO LOW LEVEL LASER THERAPY (LLLT) FOR MYOFASCIAL TRIGGER POINTS. In LASER THERAPY (Vol. 9, Issue 2, pp. 67–72). https://doi.org/10.5978/islsm.9.67