Knots in your back?! Time for a Massage!

One of the best things for tired muscles is a massage.   We're not talking about the soft, easy-going type of massage... we're talkin DEEP Tissue.   Why is this technique so much more effective?  Let us break it down for you...

Muscles are complicated, but to understand why they sometimes give you pain, you only need to understand one word: Trigger Point.   A Trigger Point is an area of muscle (not the whole muscle - just a section eg. B in the diagram below) that is stuck in a contracted state.   The rest of the muscle remains relaxed while these specific areas stay hard.  You've probably noticed them in your neck or lower back.  Most people describe them as "knots."

These "knots" or trigger points develop for all sorts of reasons: stress, injury, car accidents, depleted electrolytes.   Most people develop trigger points in their shoulders and necks.  The really interesting thing about trigger points (especially in the head, neck and shoulders) is that they can cause "referred pain."  Referred pain is pain that feels like it is in one location (say the head) but is actually coming from another point in the body (the Traps muscle).   Referred pain from trigger points is often the cause of a headaches that get worse at the end of the work day or when you are stressed. 

So how do we get rid of the trigger points????   This is where deep tissue massage comes in.   In our office Dr. Reno and Dr. Warner use two techniques.   The first is called "Trigger Point Therapy" and it involves direct pressure to the trigger point until a softening is felt under the finger tips.   Another therapy is MRT (Manual Release Technique) which involves direct pressure combined with specific patient movements.   If you've had one of these treatments in our office, chances are you've been told to "go to your happy place."  Unfortunately, like a lot of things in life, the harder it hurts the more benefit you're getting.   We tell all of our patients not to worry about being a little sore and to ICE ICE ICE!

Our office offers excellent deep tissue massage appointments.  You can book a full hour or a half hour.  Sometimes your insurance will even cover the cost of a massage!   So remember, the next time you're getting a massage, have 'em go deep and get those trigger points out... your shoulders will thank you.