Trigger Point Management at Home
Trigger points are areas of the muscle tissue that are sensitive to pressure or even touch. They can be associated with pain or even decreased range of motion if they are irritating enough. It is common for people to get one or even have a handful of small points that are causing some discomfort. What can start out as a small discomfort can become more of an issue if the tense muscle does not correct itself. The good news is there are a few things that you can do at home to relieve some of the discomfort at the start and improve range of motion if it has been lost.
When thinking of how to prevent trigger points in the first place it is important to determine how the trigger points came to be in the first place. Something as simple as sleeping in an odd position or sitting in a prolonged position during work can cause trigger points. Having proper posture can help too, especially for upper and lower back trigger points. Trigger points can be caused by overuse of a certain muscle or even can be due to an injury. Either way, finding out what the possible main cause of the trigger points is can help to manage them at home.
One thing to prepare for relieving the trigger point area is to take a warm shower. This can help to relax the muscles before getting started. To help with your back, you can find an open space on your wall. You will also need a lacrosse ball or tennis ball and a pillow case. Place the ball inside the pillowcase and hold the opening of the pillowcase so the ball does not fall out. You will place the ball between you and the wall and move the ball to places that feel tender. The pillowcase helps the ball not to fall on the ground as you move to different tender spots. You can keep the ball at each tender spot you feel for a maximum of 30 seconds. If you are able to get onto the floor, you can do the same thing for tender areas throughout your legs. Once you have gotten all of your tender spots, you can stretch the areas out to see if some of the tension has released or you are able to move some of those areas with decreased discomfort.
If you are experiencing symptoms of pain in a specific point in your body, ProTailored Physical Therapy can help! Call us at (260) 739-0300 to schedule your consultation and take the first step towards relief.