Trigger Points and Referred Pain

If you’ve gone for a massage or given someone else a massage, you know that any severe pain in the body leads to the development of a “knot” in the muscle. Such pain in a particular point may sometimes radiate to a neighboring region. The causes for either of the pain type could be stress, injury, bad posture, strain, etc. Learn more about the two types of pain and what type of treatment is offered for them by Dr. Heshmat.

What are Trigger Points?

Trigger points are “knots” that are hypersensitive palpable nodes in the muscle most commonly found in the upper back and shoulders. Chronic musculoskeletal issues may result in trigger points in other points of the body as well. Trigger points can reduce the person’s range of movement due to stiffness, numbness, weakness, and pain.

What is Referred Pain?

Referred or referral pain is a consequence of trigger points wherein pain in one part of the body is felt in another part. A classic example is a myocardial infarction or heart attack that causes pain in the neck, back, shoulders, and left arm as opposed to the chest region.

Treatment for Trigger Points and Referred Pain by Dr. Heshmat

When you walk into the clinic with excruciating muscle pain, Dr. Heshmat will begin the diagnosis by examining the area of pain and understanding your pain history. The lumps can typically be felt by the hands and can typically be dissolved by applying pressure and gradually making use of the deep tissue massage technique. Dry needling is another technique that is used to relieve pain by accurately inserting a fine needle in the trigger point. There could be some amount of pain associated with the pricking of the needle but it is usually not unpleasant.

If you have persistent muscle pain and conventional treatments have not done you any good, it’s time you considered chiropractic care. Book an appointment with Dr. Heshmat today and bid goodbye to those gnarly knots!