One of the most common reasons clients come to see me are “knots”—aches or sore spots that develop at specific points. Trigger points—knots—develop in a muscle when it is injured or overused. A trigger point affects not only the muscle where it is located; it also causes a pattern of pain in other soft tissue.
For example, when the muscle highlighted above (levator scapula) is injured or strained, turning your head can become very difficult. The x’s in the illustration indicate trigger points that may develop in the muscle. They can cause pain as far away as the inside border of the shoulder blade, meaning pain in the middle of the back may be caused by problems in another muscle altogether.
Trigger points can be deactivated with deep-pressure massage, although the process may take more than one session, depending on how long the trigger point has been around. At that point, it is up to you to keep the trigger point from coming back.
Let’s examine what may have caused the strain in the first place.
- Holding a phone between your shoulder and ear. In this case, you can help yourself by wearing a headset.
- Sleeping on your side. Make sure you have good neck support if you sleep on your side.
- Carrying a heavy purse on your shoulder. Your shoulder remains hiked up when you try to balance a purse, so be sure to clean it out frequently.
- Stress. Ever feel clenched and notice your shoulders next to your ears? Next time, ask yourself, “What have I done for me lately?” Remember to take care of yourself. You can start with small steps just by adding a stretch into your day. Being still during meditation for 5 to 10 minutes can also do wonders.
And, of course, schedule a massage. A 30-minute massage to get the kinks out will help decrease stress tremendously.
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