Chiropractic training includes many techniques to deal with pain or myofascial pain. When pain is present muscles always go into a degree of spasm, this is a protective mechanism. So muscle pain is often not the primary problem but you still have to treat it to ensure a full and speedy recovery.

The function of skeletal muscles is to give joints stability and to move bones. The brain and nervous system controls them giving co-ordination and purposeful movements.

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Did you know that there are around 600 muscles in the human body and skeletal muscles account on average for 60-70% of your body weight. So, it is not surprising that muscles are often a source of pain.

When a muscle gets injured it is referred to as a strain. A muscle strain is graded from 1-3 depending on the severity and a complete tear of a muscle, is called a rupture.

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There is a constant process of breakdown and repair in the body and most of the time the muscles injuries we get on a day-to-day basis are mild. The injuries cause small strains, so called micro-ruptures.

Following injury to a muscle, a “myofascial trigger point” or Trigger Point (TP) may form. This is a small area within a muscle, which, after injury, can remain for many years (long after the original injury has healed), and may cause chronic pain and stiffness.

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A trigger point is not an area of scar tissue from an injury. It is an area of increased sensitivity in the muscle. When pressure is applied to this point, pain is usually felt at a distant area, this is called referred pain.

Trigger points can develop in any skeletal muscle, they are found in a specific area of the muscle and each muscle give referred pain to a specific area.

To experienced hands a trigger point is felt as a nodule or taut band in the muscle or ligament.

As chiropractors we diagnose and treat trigger points on a regular basis and they can be a significant source of pain.