This picture depicts the common pain pattern of a neck and shoulder muscle called levator scapula.  This muscle is goes awry when you clutch your phone between your neck and shoulder, or sleep with too high or low pillow or sitting for long period of time with head rotated to one side or even a heavy backpack. Unbeknown to most, the pain patterns are predictable for everyone and the symptoms are even common.  The symptoms include a stiff neck and decrease movement as if you can’t turn your head to look in back of you.  Another signature sign is a burning ache at the top of the shoulder and between the shoulder blade.

Significant muscle aches are overlooked and misunderstood in health care today.  Traditionally, pain attributed to muscles hasn’t been taken very seriously (“it’s just tension!”).  However, the primary cause of pain seventy- five percent of the time is due to trigger points.  Many patients endure needless pain and medical tests due to lack of recognition and treatment of myofascial TrPs yet patients get better when their trigger points are treated.  Signs of distressing ubiquitous muscle ache and pains of man are ignored and disregarded in health care.

The pain caused by trigger points may be the biggest cause of disability today. Active trigger points cause muscular pain and will refer pain and tenderness to another area of the body when pressure is applied. Latent trigger points only exhibit pain when compressed and do not refer pain to other areas of the body. Latent trigger points are believed to be one of the causes of stiff joints and restricted range of motion of old age. With trigger point therapy pain can be eliminated and after treatments, the swelling and stiffness due to pain is reduced, range of motion is increased, tension is relieved, and circulation, flexibility and coordination are improved.

Clinical trigger point massage involves applying pressure to the area of maximum tenderness in the muscle tissue in order to relieve pain and dysfunction in other parts of the body. This work combines deep tissue massage and trigger point therapy together.  Call Debby for more understanding of your aches and pains and trigger point therapy.