The medial pteragoyd muscle is located on the inside of the jaw. It is responsible for jaw movements during talking and chewing. This muscle becomes over loaded from poor neck posture as well as stress resulting in grinding the teeth or excessive clenching of the jaw. Trigger points in this muscle will refer deep into the jaw and the tempomandibular joint producing “tmj dysfunction syndrome.
The trapezius muscle or traps is a large muscle in the mid and upper back as well as the neck. This muscle plays an important role in shoulder and neck movement. With a chronic head forward shoulders rounded posture this muscle can become chronically overloaded and strained. When this happens trigger points can form. These points will refer pain into the neck, skull, and into the temple causing headaches. Trigger points won’t release by themselves, they need a manual technique like trigger point massage.
The sternocleidomastoid muscles are two strap like muscles located in the front of the neck. They are responsible for producing head movements like flexion, as well as rotating the head to the opposite side. These muscles often become chronically shortened due to poor posture such as sitting in front of a computer screen for to long. When this happens trigger points can form. These points will refer pain into the head, face, and skull producing headaches. Trigger points won’t resolve by themselves, a manual intervention like trigger point massage is required to cause a release.
Trigger points are hyper irritable knots found in muscle tissue. These points form in a muscle due to overload stress. Trigger points can form anywhere, in any muscle. Once formed they irritate sensory nerves and produce pain, refered pain, weakness, and stiffness. Trigger points will also mimic symptoms of other conditions such as “sciatica” or Carple tunnel syndrome. Trigger points will not go away on there own, they must be manually released with hands on techniques like trigger point massage.
Activation of trigger points may be caused by a number of factors, including acute or chronic muscle overload, activation by other trigger points (key/satellite, primary/secondary), disease, psychological distress (via systemic inflammation), homeostatic imbalances, direct trauma to the region, collision trauma (such as a car crash which stresses many muscles and causes instant trigger points) radiculopathy, infections and health issues such as smoking.
Pain related to a discrete, irritable point in skeletal muscle or fascia, not caused by acute local trauma, inflammation, degeneration, neoplasm or infection.
The painful point can be felt as a nodule or band in the muscle, and a twitch response can be elicited on stimulation of the trigger point.
Palpation of the trigger point reproduces the patient’s complaint of pain, and the pain radiates in a distribution typical of the specific muscle harboring the trigger point.
the suboccipital muscles are a group of small muscles located at the base of the skull. These muscles are responsible for small movements of the head and the first two vertebrae. They also play a roll in postural stability of the skull. Trigger points are common in people with poor neck posture. these points will refer pain deep into the skull and behind the eye. They are a common source of headache pain.
fascial connective tissue runs throughout all the bodies layers. It gives the body shape and function. Fascial litterally connects every part of your together. During movement when one part of the body moves, the body as a whole responds. Functionally the only tissue that can facilitate such responsiveness is the connective tissue. When one area of the body gets restricted or damaged, the body as a whole can become dysfunctional by setting up compensation patterns.
• Laser therapy improves blood flow and lymphatic drainage
• Laser therapy has a strengthening effect on tissue repair
• It is an effective means of relief for many pain syndromes
• It can improve immune response
• Enhanced nerve regeneration & function
• Increased microcirculation & vasodilation
• Increased lymphatic flow
• Increased collagen production
• Increases the speed, quality and tensile strength of tissue repair
• Reduced inflammation
• Enhanced angiogenesis (creation of new blood vessels)
the platysma muscle is a thin sheet like muscle in the front of the neck. It functions to pull the edges of the mouth down. Trigger points in this muscle will produce a prickly, pins and needles sensation in the face that is often mistaken for neurological problems.
Aberdeen Chiropractic 