Trapezius trigger points will often refer pain to the sides (scalenes) of the neck, to the jaw and to the temple of the head, causing headaches. In addition to causing pain to the area immediately surrounding the trigger point, the trigger point will often cause referred pain to a completely different muscle. This area is one that frequently tightens up because of stress and is part of an area that people automatically massage to loosen the muscle up, especially when one is fatigued. The area in yellow in the diagram above shows a trigger point that lies in the upper trapezius muscle that most people will recognize. One of the most recognizable trigger points lies in the upper trapezius muscle, which lies atop of the torso resting between one's shoulder and neck. The pain caused by trigger points may range from a minor annoyance to a pain that is so crippling and severe that it induces people to commit suicide to rid themselves of the agony caused by the trigger point. "Trigger point(s).are.a common cause of pain." All skeletal muscles of the body have trigger points, and each and every one of them is capable of causing pain. That last sentence is probably one of the most telling of all. Trigger point researchers believe that palpable nodules are small contraction knots and a common cause of pain." (4) "Trigger points.are described as hyper irritable spots in skeletal muscle that are associated with palpable nodules in taut bands of muscle fibers. (2)Īll of these terms refer to the same area, Trigger Points, which "are localized and sometimes extremely painful contractures ('knots') found in any skeletal muscle of the body." (3) You will also see Myofascial Trigger Points frequently mentioned when discussing these devilish areas of your muscles. Trigger points are also sometimes referred to as Trigger Zones, Trigger Spots and Trigger Areas. Likewise, when you press the trigger point from the opposite side, it will slide away from the point of pressure, or in this case to the left as seen in Figure B. In figure A we see the trigger point slide to the right.
When the muscle is pressed upon the trigger point will slide slightly away from the point of touch, or palpation. (1)īut the trigger point is a real part of the muscle, not at all a separate entity.
A trigger point is a local hardening of an area in a muscle that often hardens to such a degree that, when touched with your finger, or palpated, it feels almost solid, like something entirely separate from the muscle itself. The term "trigger point" was coined by Dr Janet Travell and Dr David Simon in the 1950s.