Trigger Point Therapy in Tampa

Trigger points or muscle “knots” are sensitive spots in soft tissue, and too many of them is “myofascial pain syndrome.” Trigger point therapy mostly consists of rubbing and pressing on trigger points by a licensed massage therapist at Tampa Bay Sports & Medical Massage.  

 

Active Trigger Points Cause Pain

The active, painful phase of the trigger point is the one which produces the unrelenting, debilitating pain symptoms and which motivates people to seek relief. The active trigger point hurts when pressed with a finger and causes pain around it and in other areas. It causes the muscle in which it's located to be weak and due to the taut bands, to have limited flexibility.  

The active trigger point referral symptom may feel like a dull ache, deep, pressing pain, burning, or a sensation of numbness and fatigue. It can also cause sweating, tearing of eyes, goosebumps and dizziness. For some, trigger points cause migraine like pain.

The affected dense, shortened muscles, laden with taut bands may even compress and entrap nerves, leading to another secondary set of symptoms. If unaddressed or ineffectively treated, eventually, other muscles around the dysfunctional one may be required to "take up the slack", becoming stressed and developing secondary trigger points. It is not unusual for chronic pain clients to have multiple, overlapping referred pain patterns, making diagnosis and treatment at Tampa Bay Sports & Medical Massage more complex.

 

Availability

Monday – Saturday
Morning, Afternoon or Evening

Location

4100 W Kennedy Blvd. Suite 312
Tampa, FL 33609

Latent Trigger Points Matter Too

Our South Tampa, FL massage therapists know that trigger points can also lie quietly in muscles, sometimes for years. This type of trigger point is called latent. Latent trigger points are very common. Unless you press on the trigger point and feel the tenderness, you probably don't know they are there. Most people have at least a few.  

Latent trigger points may persist for years after apparent recovery from injury. Latent trigger points cause:

  • Restricted movement

  • Distorted muscle movement patterns

  • Stiffness and weakness of the affected muscle

They generally do not cause pain unless compressed. Many things can cause a trigger point to become active. An old injury that periodically re-surfaces may very likely be due to latent trigger points "waking up" and becoming active when aggravated by muscle overload, a cold draft, fatigue, infection, illness, or stress.

 
 

Contact Our Tampa Sports Massage Therapists

At our South Tampa, FL massage therapy clinic, we fix broken people. Contact Tampa Bay Sports & Medical Massage today to book trigger point therapy session with our expert sports massage therapists!