Is Trigger Point Therapy Right for My Neck Pain and Headaches?

Trigger point therapy

Neck pain and headaches are often connected because the neck is attached to the head. The neck is also extremely sensitive, which can make having pain or an injury in that area frightening. Trigger points, like knots, often form in the neck and shoulders and can cause headaches. Trigger point therapy can be an effective form of treatment for patients suffering from neck pain and headaches.

What is a trigger point?

A trigger point is an irritated hard spot that forms in the connective tissue, or fascia, surrounding a muscle that is attached to bone. This taut band or knot over the muscle can cause the muscle to contract or spasm, causing pain in an area adjacent to the actual trigger point. That’s how a trigger point in the neck or shoulders can cause headaches.

Trigger points have many causes including:

  • Stress
  • Tension
  • Muscle overuse
  • Sudden trauma to the area, such as an auto accident

What to expect during trigger point therapy

The physical therapist’s goal when addressing a trigger point is to make the muscle twitch in order to help the muscle relax. A physical therapist may employ massage therapy to work on the trigger point. Your physical therapist may also use the technique of dry needling to get a twitch response. Dry needling is used when treating an area that is not easily reached by hands or fingers. The physical therapist may also recommend a traction device or other ergonomic tool that improves posture and may help ease neck pain and headaches.

Trigger point therapy at SSOR

When headaches become a literal pain in the neck, the physical therapists at Specialists in Sports and Orthopedic Rehabilitation are here to help. Trigger point therapy is just one of our areas of expertise.

Our physical therapists are experts in a wide variety of treatment options to help patients get back to their day-to-day life without neck pain and headaches.

If you are suffering from headaches or neck pain and you believe you could benefit from trigger point therapy, contact the team at Specialists in Sports and Orthopedic Rehabilitation today to set up your initial consultation.