What is Trigger Point Therapy?


In this video, Dr. Julieann Murella demonstrates how trigger point therapy is performed, and what a patient may feel during treatment.  Watch until the end as she will discuss what you can expect after the treatment, and post trigger point therapy care.

Ever have that stubborn shoulder, neck, or muscle pain that just won’t go away no matter how many massages or other body work treatments you receive? 

Ever feel a knot in the center at the top of your shoulders or in a muscle that causes pain when you touch it?

These are conditions in which trigger point therapy can be helpful.  Trigger points are found in the center of a muscle, and can form when muscle fibers are so tight that they create an epicenter of tension that feels like a knot. 

These trigger points in the muscle are very difficult to relax, and can cause referred pain.  This pain is not just local but radiates to multiple areas in the body.  Every muscle in the body has it’s own trigger point referral pattern.  For example, pain in the jaw can actually be coming from trigger points in your shoulders. 

So how we do we treat this? 

Using a sterile acupuncture needle or injectable needle, our physicians are trained in finding trigger points and injecting them with dextrose, procaine, lidocaine, and or B12 to help break up that trigger point and relax the muscle.  Procaine, lidocaine and dextrose help with reducing pain, and can also help with increasing circulation to the area to recruit cells and nutrients to heal that specific injury. 

Why B12?  Not all practitioners will use B12, but we like to use B12 in trigger point therapy because it is an essential vitamin in supporting important biochemical pathways to help detox and heal damaged tissue. 

What conditions can Trigger Point Therapy treat?

Trigger point therapy can be helpful for most musculoskeletal pains, but these are some common conditions it can be helpful for:

  • Sciatica
  • Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
  • Migraines
  • Headaches
  • Temporal Mandibular Joint
  • Shoulder Pain
  • Neck Pain
  • Low back pain
  • Hip Pain

Please reach out to us if you have any questions, and or would like to schedule an appointment with our practitioners.  Thanks so much!

In good health,

Dr. Julieann Murella ND, LAc

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Julieann Murella