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Therese
Aug 28, 2008 - 4:43PM
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Trigger Points
I have been doing the LTBP system for over a year now and have come to realize recently that most all of the pain I am experiencing in my legs and left butt cheek are from trigger points. I have tons of them! I have the Fenix System, but prefer to use an electric massager thingy that has 4 pairs of rotating knobs to work on the trigger points. A few questions. Some of the trigger points are on the outside and inside of my lower legs. It seems impossible to stretch them after trigger point therapy. Any ideas? Also, is it possible to overdo it? Sometimes I do trigger point 2 or 3 times/day, but it doesn't seem to be getting better. Also, would it be a good idea to ice trigger points? Thanks for your help.
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andrea capone
Aug 29, 2008 - 11:27AM
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Re: Trigger Points
I too have recently realized how bad my trigger points are. I bought a deep kneading massage machine from Relax The Back...it was only 129.00 so I didn't expect much. But, I was amazed how well it works. I also use a tens machine on and around my trigger points. I do LTBP and I go to a chiropractor who does the Pettibon System - which involves some calf stretches and glute work. None of it is enough to be pain free. I also use a lot of ice...that helps a lot on my pain. I work full time so every other hour of the day is spent trying to work out the pain!!! Kepp me posted on the treatments you are doing. Hope it helps
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Therese
Aug 30, 2008 - 9:37PM
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Re: Trigger Points
Andrea, Thanks for your reply. It's a little discouraging to me to see that you are doing so much more than I am in re: to trigger point therapy, yet you are still not pain free. I was hoping this would go away quickly. Do you find the tens machine helpful? Where do you purchase one?
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Dave Hutchieson
Aug 31, 2008 - 12:15PM
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Re: Trigger Points
Therese
I used a tens machine a year ago.
I believe it's the best on the market. The support staff at the little company who make it are great - they are registered nurses.
Drop me an e-mail and I'll send you details.
If you use one, you must go easy with it. Just gentle pulsing of the msucles - less is more.
Dave Hutchieson
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Steven Hefferon
Sep 1, 2008 - 10:27AM
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Re: Trigger Points
Therese, There are a few more principles to getting the most out of addressing Trigger Points Please watch this video on Trigger Points...
Steve
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Tim
Sep 2, 2008 - 9:44AM
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Re: Trigger Points
Therese and Andrea,
How did you go about finding your specific trigger points ?
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Therese
Sep 2, 2008 - 3:45PM
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Re: Trigger Points
Hi Tim,
Well I didn't realize the pain I was feeling in my left glute on down the back of my thigh was a trigger point until I sat on my massager and it almost put me through the roof! Then I knew it was a trigger point in my glute. Initially I had a band of muscle in my thigh which felt very tight. When I started working on the glute trigger point, the tightness in the thigh went away. As far as the other trigger points, they are just spots on my leg muscles which are painful to a moderate amount of pressure. I have found them through massage by hand or an electric massager.
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Tim
Sep 3, 2008 - 6:10AM
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Re: Trigger Points
Thanks for the insight Therese
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Steven Hefferon
Sep 3, 2008 - 10:31AM
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Re: Trigger Points
Tim
There are a lot of way to find trigger points, but I will give you a word of warning....
Once you start to fiddle of with TPs you need to stick with it because they are fickle and TPs that irritated can become active and irritatingly painful...
So if you decide to go hunting have a plan to stick with to eradicate them....
To find Trigger Points
1. Go the a massage therapist with the express purpose of identifying them, a good therapist can find them very fast, then ask them to chart them on a photo of your or a drawing...
2. Or just buy the chart
3. Or do it the poor mans way and search Google for
"Trigger Point Chart" and then assume to some degree that each and every muscle group is effected to some degree,
Sorry to be pessimistic, but as a massage therapist my self for 15 years, I can say with a very high degree of confidence that every body I worked on had Trigger Points, it not a matter of if but to what degree...
There is a unique cycle that TPs go through and its a pattern that most everyone falls into, regardless.
The short list of why Trigger Point are so prevalent!
We live our lives in a cycle of "Use-Abuse and then Disuse" I will wright an article about it soon but this pattern holds true for so many people that it could be considered a syndrome but we all just consider it to be OLD AGE and we bend over and take starting around 35...
Now on the flip side there Trauma induced Trigger Points, no fun either in fact it only speeds up the process and amplifies everything...
Nutrition/Hydratrion: I will make the argument in my article but here is the short list, to much Calcium in or diets in the absence of Vit D and Vit K we get improper assimilation and utilization of Calcium, not enough Magnesium, all of the Oxidative Stressing Elements we eat, drink and breath in, can all make TPs a living nightmare ask any one with Fibromyalgia
Living your days with physical and postural dysfunctions, we have been screaming this for 5 years now Muscle Imbalances cause Trigger Point and Trigger Points cause Muscle Imbalances...
It is a cycle and it is progressive degenerative issue that feeds on its self, worst of all Trigger Points never go a way on there own and they need to be manually worked till they do go way, once more you will also do far better by simultaneously working with Muscle balance therapy to work towards improved balance and stability in all muscle groups not just your core.
I could make the case that every single one of our back pain related product either directly or indirectly address Trigger Points and is there to be a long term solution...
Steve
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Dave Hutchieson
Sep 3, 2008 - 2:07PM
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Re: Trigger Points
Steve
You hit on a very important piece of information regarding calcium uptake and vitamin D.
Vitamin D is being recognised more and more as being essential for health [ much more than had been previously thought ].
Over the last few years, so many people have stayed out of sunlight almost exclusively due to skin cancer scares.
However, the latest research suggests that we should all get about 15 minutes of sunshine per day.
This is very important for the natural production of Vitamin D in our bodies.
If we do not get enough Vitamin D, then our bodies cannot process the calcium properly to help with bone growth etc.
Dave
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Jen P
Sep 3, 2008 - 3:29PM
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Re: Trigger Points
Great discussion, I am learning about Trigger Point Therapy through the Therapy Workbook and using the Theracane. One thing that confused was identifying the differences b/t a TP and a simple pressure point. The book indicated that pressure points can be identified simply by touch, but that Trigger Points are deeper. Well, right now I have alot of sensitive pressure points that is sore to the touch. Because they feel close to the surface, I am thinking it maybe different from a TP and don't want to try to "massage it out".
I have looked everywhere and really wish there was a separate Trigger Point Forum or Group because its just that easy, I feel like I actually bruised my glutes and made my pain worse because in the beginning I was trying to massage it out!
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Therese
Sep 3, 2008 - 9:55PM
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Re: Trigger Points
Thanks for all the great info everyone. Jen, you mentioned something called a pressure point. What is it and how do you deal with it? And Steve, I have a few lower leg tendons where the whole tendon is painful with massage from top to bottom. Are these considered trigger points?
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Jen P
Sep 9, 2008 - 3:24PM
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Re: Trigger Points
I am having a hard time understanding Trigger Points, I have the workbook and the theracane but I feel like I am working the so called trigger points and then I am bruised afterwards and then there is more soreness. So then, I wonder, was that a trigger point? It felt like it because it was knot like and very painful and sensational when working on.
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