Home HOW TRIGGER POINT THERAPY RELIEVES NECK PAIN

HOW TRIGGER POINT THERAPY RELIEVES NECK PAIN

Thursday, 25th August 2022

Many of us have been told we have tight muscles or that some of our pain is coming from trigger points. You may have been given exercises from your allied health team including foam rolling or using a ball to release these tight muscles. Similarly your health provider may use myofascial trigger point therapy and massage to help with these trigger points.

But how does this work? And how might this apply to neck pain?

In this post we will explain what trigger points and trigger point therapy are and how doing trigger point therapy relieves pain. We will then give you 3 trigger point exercises that may help you with your neck pain.

What is trigger point therapy, and Why Does it Matter?

A trigger point is defined as an irritated area of muscle that is painful when compressed, stretched or contracted. Trigger point therapy is the use of static compression either by a therapist or modality such as a lacrosse ball, massage gun, barbell or foam roller. By applying trigger point therapy to a trigger point, the muscle can improve range, functionality and decrease compensatory mechanisms and fatigability. Just as you should include both strength and aerobic fitness in your weekly training, exercises such as trigger point therapy and stretching should be used weekly to first help decrease pain, then to prevent pain and then to improve performance.

How to use Trigger Point Therapy for Neck Pain

There are many reasons why you might be getting neck pain. Pain commonly happens because of prolonged sitting, often in a slumped or forward head position. Neck pain can also happen when we are stressed. We tend to hold ourselves more tightly and breathe more shallowly which recruits our accessory neck muscles. This can then lead to trigger points and neck pain.

The following exercises are great options, but may not be right for you. It is always best to consult a health practitioner to see what exercises are best for you.

The 3 exercises below target muscles that tend to get trigger points and can lead to neck pain and headaches. For all exercises, ideally hold for 90seconds and repeat 1-2x/day when the neck is feeling tight or 1x/day preventatively.