PULLING THE TRIGGER AT TRIGGER POINTS: MYOFASCIAL PAIN SYNDROME AND MUSCLE KNOTS

Do you ever get sore from your nape all the way down to the top of your shoulders following strenuous days of desk works? If this has gone on for too long, and you’re starting to notice some knots within ropey bands of muscle, then you may be suffering from myofascial pain syndrome or MPS.

What is MPS?

MPS is a medical term used to describe chronic muscle pain, due to inflamed fascia or the protective covering of the muscle - thus, the term myofascial. If you’re frequently accustomed to stooped posture like in desk jobs, your neck and upper back can become really painful and tender because your muscle is continuously tensed and so gets very tight in the long run. Later on, this feeling of pain and tenderness become associated with one or more “trigger points,” and you’ll start to feel a bump or nodule in your muscle. This is where everything gets worse and really be annoying.

Causes and Risk Factors

MPS can develop in the muscles due to injuries, overuse, or even psychological stress. 

• Acute muscle injury. Muscle injury results in muscle guarding where the muscle is held in a sustained posture to protect the associated area from getting more painful. However, this results in tightening of the muscle and then MPS.
• Recurrent muscle overload. Repetitive motions and poor posture can strain the myofascial unit, leading to overuse, muscle injury, and development of trigger points. Jobs requiring repetitive physical work or prolonged static posture, such as working on a computer all day, are at high risks.
• Stress and anxiety. These behavioral issues can cause a person to repeatedly clench and unclench their muscles, causing repeated strain, which makes them more prone to MPS and trigger points.

What are the Symptoms of Myofascial Pain?

The Trigger Points

Muscle knots, also known as trigger points, are hard, sensitive areas of tight muscles that develop within the taut bands of the muscles after injuries or overuse. Compression of these hyperirritable spots results in jump sign, local tenderness, local twitch response and referred pain.

• Jump sign is the startling response of a person during compression of the muscle knot.
• Local twitch response is the visible or palpable contraction of a muscle and skin when compression is applied to the tense taut band.
• Referred pain is pain felt distant from the spot where compression is applied.

Treatment for MPS

• Medications include pain relievers, antidepressants and sedatives, and trigger point injection in severe cases.
• Physical therapy includes ultrasound, heat therapy, electrotherapy, and stretching of the affected muscle.
• Aerobic exercise may help to stretch the muscles and increases their blood supply.
• Myofascial release or trigger point pressure release softens knots and releases tension.
• Massage therapy increases circulation and improves blood flow to loosen up tensed muscles. 

Releasing Muscle Knots with  Recovapro’s Vibration Therapy 

It all starts with a modern massage tool, like the  Recovapro massage gun.

One of the best ways to deal with muscle knots is through deep tissue massage. With massage tools like the Recovapro massage gun, you can relax the taut bands and break up the tension that builds up in the muscle and fascia, so you can treat MPS even before trigger points start to develop. The combined power of the Recovapro mechanism and the bullet-head attachment at an appropriate and self-selected speed setting provides a personalized treatment with the right amount of localized pressure to eliminate every knot in your body. The Recovapro massage gun changes the way people massage knots due to the incredible power of self-application. With the ability to reach deep into muscles, the Recovapro massage gun can help relieve trigger point pain quickly, efficiently, and at a fraction of the price of ongoing treatment with a massage therapist. So, what are you waiting for! Pull the trigger at your trigger points with Recovapro massage guns! Shop Recovapro now!