Focused massage therapy for persistent muscle tension, tender spots, and referred pain.

Trigger point therapy is a targeted massage technique used to address sensitive, tight areas within muscles that can contribute to pain, tension, and restricted movement. These areas—commonly called trigger points or “knots”—may be uncomfortable where they occur, or they may cause pain that is felt somewhere else in the body.

For example, a trigger point in the muscles of the neck or shoulder may contribute to discomfort that travels into the head, arm, or upper back. Because the source of pain isn’t always the same place where you feel it, identifying these patterns can be an important part of treatment.

What is a trigger point?

A trigger point is a particularly sensitive area within a muscle or its surrounding tissue. It may develop in response to overuse, repetitive activity, injury, prolonged positioning, or other stresses on the body.

When pressure is applied to a trigger point, you may recognize the sensation as familiar—sometimes even reproducing discomfort you have been experiencing elsewhere. This pattern is known as referred pain.

Trigger points can be associated with:

• Persistent muscle tightness or tenderness
• Neck and shoulder tension
• Headaches associated with muscular tension
• Back and hip discomfort
• Repetitive-use or overuse problems
• Restricted or uncomfortable movement
• Muscle soreness that doesn't seem to resolve on its own

What does Trigger Point Therapy feel like?

Trigger point therapy is usually more focused than a traditional relaxation massage. Your massage therapist will palpate the muscles to identify areas of tension and tenderness and may use sustained pressure, compression, slow movement, or other massage techniques to encourage the area to release.

The pressure can feel intense at times, particularly when a therapist finds an area that reproduces a familiar pattern of discomfort. More pressure isn't necessarily better. Your therapist will work with your feedback and adjust the treatment so that it remains appropriate and productive.

Trigger point work is often incorporated into a larger massage session rather than performed as a stand-alone technique. Depending on what your body needs, your therapist may combine it with myofascial release, neuromuscular techniques, stretching, Swedish massage, or other approaches.

Is Trigger Point Therapy right for me?

Trigger point therapy may be helpful when you have a particular area that repeatedly feels tight, sore, or restricted—especially when the discomfort seems to return despite stretching, rest, or general massage.

At Siskiyou Massage, we don't expect you to know which massage technique you need before you arrive. Tell your therapist what you're experiencing, what activities seem to aggravate it, and what you'd like to be able to do more comfortably. Your therapist can determine whether trigger point work or another approach is appropriate for your session.

Trigger Point Therapy in Ashland, Oregon

Our massage therapists use trigger point therapy as one of many tools available for individualized, treatment-oriented massage. Whether you're dealing with an ongoing problem, recovering from an injury, staying active, or simply trying to address stubborn muscle tension, we'll tailor your session to what your body needs that day.

Ready to schedule? Book a massage with one of our massage therapists and let us know what you'd like help with.