Trigger point

The trigger point therapy has as its goal the elimination of so-called " myofascial trigger points ". These are localized muscle tightness in skeletal muscle that are locally sensitive to pressure and can assume one of which referred pain. About 80 to 90% of pain syndromes should be due to such muscle hardening.

Thus, for example, a myofascial trigger point in the shoulder lift muscle ( trapezius ), the pain in the back of the head / temple area trigger ( triggers ) can, in most cases, the trigger for those pain pictures. The therapeutic options are mainly directed to the targeted reduction / disable permanently contracted muscle fibers and the subsequent sustained prophylaxis of these permanently shortened or absent stressed (unfavorable working posture, poor physical condition, etc.) muscles. As opportunities are available to each on the affected muscle: specific manual physiotherapy techniques, treatment by acupressure ( partially possible in self-treatment ), needling of the trigger point acupuncture needles ( dry needling ) or by injection of a local anesthetic into the trigger point, but also a trigger shock wave therapy.

Therapy

The treatment of trigger points should be carried out by specially trained professionals, such as doctors, physical therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists or masseurs. Such a trigger Therapist is trained, by a result (consisting of anamnesis, inspection and Dehntests ) narrow down the appropriate trigger points and systematically and effectively to reduce emissions under the subsequent treatment. The therapeutic effect is immediately noticeable. Within the treatment, the pain images of the patient are reproduced, thus this can be an empirical proof of the affiliation between pain and muscle to image.

Scientific study location

New Zealand researchers came to the conclusion that there is no standard format for the detection of myofascial trigger points in a review article published in 2009. Literature data would therefore have conflicting data for the detection of such points. Danish researchers have already pointed out in 2008 to a low in their opinion methodological quality of the literature on myofascial trigger points. For use of injections at the trigger points, there is no literature can be derived from the secure evidence of efficacy.