7 Incredible Trigger Point Massage Benefits

By Elly McGuinness

Trigger point massage is not for the faint of heart, but it is incredibly worth it. Yes, it can be painful, but the trigger point massage benefits far outweigh the momentary pain – and even that fades so quickly you won’t even remember it!

You can have immediate relief after a single session. Over time, you may feel years of tension melt away from your body with the application of pressure on these key points throughout your body. Trigger point massages can even have medical benefits and have been used for the treatment of chronic pain.

Trigger point therapy is a great way to relieve pain without taking any additional medication. Many scientific trials are underway to support this treatment type as a viable option for pain management.

Still, it’s a newer treatment option, and not everyone may be familiar with what it entails. Before we get into the many benefits of trigger point therapy, let’s first understand what a trigger point is and how you can use trigger point massage therapy to treat your pain.

(This post includes affiliate links for which I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase)

What is a Trigger Point?

Myofascial trigger points, or just trigger points, are quite plainly points that trigger pain. They could be the actual epicenter of your pain, or they could be referral points. The latter are points that feel like they are the epicenter but, in fact, are not.

More formally, trigger points are hyperirritable points within skeletal muscles that have become inflamed. Because of this, they can be very sensitive and painful to the touch. You may have also heard these called knots.

They can hinder your movement, as well as cause pain at that spot. The pain may radiate from the trigger point and present at other associated locations in your body. There may be multiple trigger points throughout your body, which can become more pronounced over time.

While there’s not a lot of scientific evidence about what causes trigger points, it is generally understood that acute trauma or repetitive microtrauma can cause a person to develop a trigger point. In addition, chronic joint problems, insomnia, poor diet, lack of exercise, repetitive motions, and/or stress on a specific muscle or area of muscles may cause you to develop these micro-traumas that lead to trigger points.

Trigger points may commonly develop as a result of your lifestyle. When you are looking to manage your pain, you may need to make changes in your day-to-day routines to prevent these trigger points from developing or returning following treatment.

trigger point massage benefits-shoulder

What is a Trigger Point Massage?

When you apply pressure to the trigger point, you can separate the muscle fibers. This can reduce the compression of blood vessels and may decrease pain levels. A trigger point massage therapist is trained to release these trigger points, as a way to provide relief to those who feel chronic pain.

A recent study about the responsiveness of myofascial trigger points to single and multiple trigger point release massages found that trigger point massage resulted in a rapid reduction of local pain. This happened almost instantaneously in addition to restoring blood flow to help aid cellular repair. This cellular repair can reduce muscle soreness by improving circulation. Your massage therapist will work with you to identify your treatment plan to target the proper trigger points.

Types of trigger point massage

Trigger point massage integrates a series of techniques from other practices to help bring you comfort. They draw from acupressure and myofascial release therapy. Depending on the massage therapist, they may integrate dry needling.

Dry needling is different than acupuncture, though they both use needles to stimulate blood flow in the body. There are similarities between the two, but dry needling focuses on musculoskeletal disorders over its broader counterpart.

Remember, trigger point massages are not meant to be relaxing. It’s not a luxurious Swedish massage that leaves you walking on air out of the session. Trigger point massages are more therapeutic and focused on your personal goals. While you may experience discomfort in the moment, you will feel deep relief after your session or sessions.

Practitioner massages, self-massage, and other forms of myofascial release

The practice of trigger point therapy could involve having a trigger point massage from a massage therapist. Self-massage techniques can also be very effective for pain relief and improving mobility. Self-massage techniques may involve trigger point therapy techniques that use tools such as foam rollers or trigger point balls.

Self-massage can also include gentler forms of myofascial release, such as dynamic stretching. Another popular trend involves the use of a massage gun. It’s appealing to many because it’s a lot less painful than a trigger point massage. In fact, it’s not meant to feel painful at all. Massage guns employ a technique known as percussion or percussive therapy. They can be used by a practitioner or for self-massage at home.

[Exogun is one brand of percussion massage guns. You can read my Exogun review here].

Often, a combination of techniques will be used to work deep into stubborn knots. Once you understand the basics of how to do these self-massage techniques you may find that they are an invaluable part of the preparation for your workouts. They can also be very beneficial in between sessions.

[Find out more in “How To Use A Trigger Point Ball Effectively”].

trigger point massage benefits-spikey balls

Understanding Trigger Point Massage benefits

Now that you know what a trigger point is and how they can be treated for pain relief, let’s take a look at the top six trigger point massage benefits. There is an overlap between them because, like the human body, the trigger point massage benefits are interconnected. It’s all a system intended to improve your quality of life by reducing pain and stiffness.

Trigger point massage benefits are many, and one of the best things is that it’s an all-natural treatment for your pain management. You may even find the impact on your quality of life outpaces any previous treatment plans, especially for chronic pain.

1. Pain Management

A huge trigger point therapy benefit is its impact on pain management. It provides relief for chronic pain, often with no additional over-the-counter or prescription medicine needed. This all-natural form of treatment has been used to treat chronic conditions like headaches, TMJ, low back pain, arthritis, carpal tunnel, tinnitus, migraines, and sciatica. It may also be used to treat plantar heel pain, neck pain, shin splints, and rotator cuff injuries. These are just a few of the applications for pain management. It can be used to treat any pain associated with the muscular and skeletal system. 

Your massage therapist will work with you to see what pain level you can tolerate. The pain should be fleeting, and as you have more and more sessions, this sensitivity will decrease. Overall, it should feel like a “good” sort of pain, if that makes sense! You should certainly be able to breathe through it.

The temporary pain from working into the trigger point is part of the healing process. Your pain threshold may change, but the treatment may also be working to desensitize the area.

Also, know that when you receive treatment, it may not be where you think it should be. Trigger points can be exactly where you feel the pain. Or they may be presenting as referral pain, which is from a different spot. This happens because of the interconnectedness of the human body.

By identifying trigger points that are serving as the point of origin, you can feel immediate myofascial pain relief, helping you manage chronic pain with almost immediate results. Both of these spots can be treated to maximize pain management and improve your range of movement.

trigger point massage benefits-shoulder knot therapist treatment

2. Increased Range of Motion

The pain you felt from the compressed trigger points may also have resulted in a loss of range of motion. For example, you may not be able to move your neck without pain. This can be uncomfortable and prevent you from doing the things you love. Trigger point massage is one way to address that, improving your quality of life by increasing your range of motion.

There was a recent study that found trigger point massage improved muscle strength and range of motion, as well as decreased shoulder and muscle pain. The study found that there was an immediate impact on participants when it came to their movement. This suggested there was an actual physical change at the trigger point following treatment. This was present when compared with the placebo group and offers promising evidence toward trigger point massage benefits.

Trigger point therapy can be a promising, non-invasive treatment option. For example, if you have chronic pain in your shoulders, you can consult your doctor to see if trigger point therapy is an option for you before you resort to surgery.

If your pain can be managed this way, it will be less expensive and have less recovery time, letting you get back to your normal routine quicker. Consult your doctor and/or your massage therapist to see if trigger point therapy would be beneficial to you. They will create a personalized plan to meet your needs and your pain threshold.

3. Fewer Headaches

There is evidence that the trigger points in the neck and upper back can lead to frequent headaches, and trigger point massage can help treat and reduce the frequency of these episodes. People who report frequent migraines and tension headaches often have active myofascial trigger points.

Because of this, stimulation of these trigger points may cause relief from headaches, as well as a decrease in the number of headaches when actively receiving treatment. This is because you will have fewer active trigger points. Due to the suggested correlation, you will then have fewer tension headaches or migraines.

While more testing is needed, initial results suggest that there are more trigger points in adults. This is probably because trigger points are more likely to be a result of repeated actions as opposed to something that individuals are born with.

If you are predisposed to headaches, you may have more active trigger points in your neck and back, and once you receive treatment, you should feel some relief. The fewer active trigger points, the fewer tension headaches and migraines you should have.

These findings are promising for those who suffer from chronic headaches. You can receive trigger point massages from a professional and learn how to do simpler trigger point releases at home. This will be essential during an episode, so be sure to understand which trigger points are related to headaches. You can apply pressure in the moment for immediate relief.

trigger point massage therapy benefits-shoulder

4. Improved Posture

Muscle knots shorten areas that are meant to have more looseness. Think of your muscle like a ribbon. The more knots you add to it, the less area you have to work with. Before long, it will be too short for what you need it for.

The same goes for your body. You will be tense in some areas, and that tension can cause deep pain, especially over time. When your body releases knots, especially at trigger points, you are gaining back some of the length. Nowhere is this more apparent than with your posture.

When you have poor posture, you slouch, which causes even more pulling on your muscles. When you have more pulling, you are adding more tension to your body. This tension leads to knots and trigger points. These can be deeply seated and hard to treat based on how bad your posture is.

Trigger point massage therapy will help address this issue, attacking those points to relieve the tension in healthy ways. Overall, the goal is to improve your posture and your quality of life.

This is especially important for those who sit for long periods for work. Trigger point therapy can help release the tension from a sedentary lifestyle. After treatment, make sure to take care of your posture; it’s easy to slip back into old habits, and you will irritate your trigger points all over again!

5. Released Toxins

In addition to the knots, trigger points are also a site in the body where toxins build up. Toxins are elements that your body cannot break down. They can be introduced in any number of ways. When you have decreased blood flow, the toxins can build up at knots.

They can’t flow through the body properly when there are areas of tension. So, when you break up a knot, it also releases those built-up toxins into your body. This is great because you want those toxins to break up. But you also need to help them exit your central nervous system. 

You can help flush those toxins from your body when you drink a lot of fluids. Remember, water will be your friend before and after each trigger point massage session. Drinking more water will help release the toxins faster, and prevent them from simply relocating to another location of tension in your body.

It will also help you to prevent soreness after a session with your massage therapist. If you don’t keep your body well hydrated, you will take longer to recover after each session. This is counter-intuitive to the purpose of getting the trigger point massage. You want to feel better, so it’s really important to rehydrate your muscles to maximize the benefits from the trigger point massage session.

trigger point massage benefits-lower back muscle knot

6. Stimulate Blood Flow in Muscle Tissue

When you break up the knots in your muscles, you are promoting increased circulation throughout your body. When you have the proper blood flow throughout your central nervous system, you will feel less sore. When you are less sore, you will also feel less tired.

All of these factors together will generally improve your quality of living. Your muscles will no longer be as stiff either because the trigger point massage will lead to reduced amounts of collagen and elastin in the arterial walls. This means that your arteries will be more supple.

When the proper amount of blood runs through your muscles, they will be less tense and your body will begin operating as it’s intended to. Physically, you will have less tension to hold you back, which in turn improves your range of motion, and helps you to better manage your pain levels.

As well, this can have an overall calming effect on your physical body when you release tension using trigger point massage. Your body is able to pump blood back through your muscle tissues, promoting healthy circulation. This, in turn, will regenerate your muscles when you have fresh blood pumping through. You will feel like a new person after this deep tissue work.

7. Improved Mental State

For those living with chronic pain, the relief you’ll feel after the many trigger point massage benefits will be palpable. It should have a very positive effect on your mental status. When you are no longer living with the constant pain that you have relieved from trigger point massage, you will have lower levels of stress. This can positively impact your life and relationships. You will have much more patience when it’s not being stretched thin with constant pain.

Other issues that may have started with your pain may also resolve or improve over time. Many people who have chronic pain develop anxiety and depression, insomnia, fatigue, trouble concentrating, decreased appetite and sudden mood changes. This is because chronic pain and stress can increase the levels of hormones and neurochemicals in your brain.

This has an impact on your daily life in physical and emotional ways. So, when you no longer have this constant pain, you will feel like a huge weight has been lifted from you. It will reduce some of those hormones and just overall impact your demeanor.

This may not be as scientific as the other benefits, but it is very crucial to your general well-being. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and some of the tension that leads to developing trigger points can be psychosomatic in addition to repeated physical micro-traumas. A huge trigger point massage benefit is that it treats your whole self.

Disadvantages of Trigger Point Massage

While there are many benefits to trigger point massage, it may not be for everyone. Those who have a low pain threshold may find it too intense to receive treatment. Many people prefer massages to be more relaxing, and that is not the experience you will get during a trigger point session.

Trigger point massages and other forms of trigger point therapy are meant to relieve your pain after the initial working into the knots. There may be some trial and error about what level of pain you can tolerate and what level is beneficial versus too much. Overall, because of its firmer pressure and targeted approach, some people prefer other massage types as treatment options.

Trigger point massage is not going to cure everyone’s pain, especially those who are recovering from serious injuries. So, if your injury is too severe, it may not work for you. Consult with your doctor before trying any physical therapy, like trigger point massage, that may hinder your recovery. It may be too soon for something so targeted. It’s possible you could benefit from a different treatment plan, which may include over-the-counter or prescription medicine.

Each person is different, so if trigger point therapy or massage is not for you, that’s okay! You will find a treatment plan that fits your unique needs, including your pain threshold.

trigger point massage benefits-foam roller quad release

So, What Are You Waiting for? Try Trigger Point Massage Today!

You’ve learned a lot about trigger point therapy, what the benefits are, and what the disadvantages are too.

One of the most popular reasons that people seek trigger point massage therapy is for all-natural pain management. It is really helpful for those with chronic pain because you can manipulate the musculoskeletal system in ways that reduce tension, release toxins, and promote healthy circulation. This is incredible for many who have not had luck with more traditional treatment methods, including medicine and other forms of physical therapy.

Receiving treatment for chronic pain will have a huge impact on your life, whether it is a trigger point massage or something else. It is important to treat your whole self, addressing physical and mental issues that may cause these points of tension in your body.

If you are looking to try something new, it’s worth a try! Just remember that it isn’t going to be a relaxing walk in the park. You’re going to feel like you’re working for it, but that makes the relief so much sweeter. It is a deep relief you feel in your muscles, like a huge tension and a giant weight from your body that has been lifted. Repeated sessions will give you more relief. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, so give this alternative pain treatment a try!

[If you’re keen on self-myofascial release and trigger point therapy, check out these 9 Best Myofascial Release Tools].

If you’re interested in exploring another modality that can help reduce muscle soreness and increase range of motion, check out this comprehensive post all about stretching. You’ll discover the best ways to stretch before, after, and in between workouts. There’s also a top-to-toe list of full-body stretches, complete with photos and descriptions.

Do you have any questions or comments about trigger point massage? Please feel free to join the conversation and leave a comment below!

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these recommended service provider links, like an insurance broker, or a travel agent, I may earn a commission – at no extra cost to you. [For my full disclosure, please see my DISCLAIMER page].

Did you enjoy this blog? Have you been inspired by any of my other content such as my social posts or videos? Did you know you can now ‘Buy Me A Coffee‘! Just click the button and express your gratitude however you see fit.

Other holistic health articles you may like

How about sharing your own thoughts?

What actions might you take next? What questions do you have?

Leave a comment below to let me know what you think of this post.

Elly McGuinness

1 Comment

  1. synergy physiotherapyclinic

    Great insights! Trigger point massage helps relieve muscle tension effectively. Thanks for sharing how it benefits overall wellness. 👍

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *