Back Pain Glossary » Trigger Point Therapy

Trigger Point Therapy for Back Pain

Trigger point therapy is based on the phenomenon of mysterious pain being triggered by a light touch. These painful trigger points can occur as a result of muscle spasm or from tangled knots of fascia.

In persons who are suffering from muscular aches and pains, knotted muscles and a painful tender spot characterize the trigger point. A trigger point can radiate pain and sensation through nerves to other places on the body.

Trigger point therapy treatment involves injecting a small amount of local anesthetic into the trigger point. The anesthetic seems to scramble the pain message from the nerve and return the nerves in the trigger point back to a state of rest. A series of treatments are necessary to cause the re-educate the pathologically disturbed nerve and muscle to behave normally.

Trigger point therapy is especially useful for cases of blunt or traumatic injury to the back or in cases when repetitive motions or tension causes the pain.