Acupuncture. Getting to the root of trigger points.

Are you in a vulnerable position during your work day that causes your back, neck and shoulders to ache throughout and at the end of your day?

If you answered yes, you are not alone!

Many suffer from chronic repetitive strain throughout their work week.  This can cause a multitude of symptoms but one complex phenomenon that it can lead to is called a trigger point.  If the term trigger point is foreign to you, I can almost guarantee the feeling is not. 

There are two types of trigger points, latent and active.  Latent trigger points are those ropey nodules that you can feel in muscle, and are commonly referred to as knots.  When pressure is applied to a latent trigger point a nauseating ache or pain will be felt.  On the other hand, active trigger points feel similar to latent trigger points but the pain is present even in the absence of any pressure.  The constant pain of active trigger points can demise your motivation to exercise, and interfere with your quality of life.  



Many people seek out alternative therapies to get relief from the pain of active trigger points, while others continue get maintenance or wellness care to avoid the painful bouts.   There are many forms of trigger point treatments ranging from postural education and body conditioning to manual therapies such as chiropractic adjustments and soft tissue therapies like active release and graston.   In most cases these interventions are enough to limit the irritation one may face on a daily basis, but in some cases a slightly more invasive treatment is needed.

Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years, and although traditional principals are based on the meridian system, trigger points can also be treated as well.  In traditional Chinese practices these points are referred to as Ah-shi points.   You can easily remember this name because a slight pressure to one of these areas may cause you to cry a very similar phrase to ah-shi.  In western medicine the needling of a trigger point is termed dry needling. 

In a 2011 Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy article, author Jan Dommerholt reviewed outcome studies and found some surprising results.  First, in the geriatric population, dry needling lowered pain levels significantly and showed significant improvements on the Geriatric Depression Scale.   Two other studies demonstrated dry needling to have comparable effects to injections with lidocaine.  However, in long-term pain reduction dry needling performed better.   Finally, a study looked at 40 individuals who were about to have knee replacement surgery.   All 40 were examined and put into two groups.  Prior to the surgery but after the administration of the anesthetic the first group was dry needled for their trigger points, while the second group were not.  Since all 40 subjects were anesthesized they were truly blinded to whether they had the intervention or not.  The subjects who were in the dry needling group reported significantly lower pain levels and required fewer analgesics post-operation.

For most of us we accept repetitive strain, and the associated pain as part of life.  Actions can be taken so pain does not limit the way you live your life.  So, fight back and inquire with your practitioner about acupuncture today!

Until next time, stay healthy my friends!

Dr. Adam