Trigger Point Massage for Sports Injuries

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Have you ever wondered why some parts of your body hurt when you press on them, even though the pain seems to come from somewhere else? This is due to trigger points and trigger point therapy can help.

As a registered trigger point therapist with over a decade of expertise, I frequently use this technique to treat sports injuries.

This approach not only aids in pain relief and increases mobility but also plays a crucial role in enhancing athletic performance. The massage helps release tension in people suffering from muscle pain by focusing on these trigger points.

In this blog post, I’ll explain what trigger point massage is, why it helps sports injuries, and how to use it for common injuries like tennis elbow, runner’s knee, and rotator cuff issues.

Understanding Trigger Points

A trigger point is a tight, irritable knot in muscle tissue that causes soreness, swelling, and decreased range of motion. Trigger points form for many reasons such as:

Overuse and strain injuries
Poor posture and muscle imbalances
Accidents and trauma to the tissues
Nutritional deficiencies
Chronic stress

You might develop a single trigger point or clusters of irritated knots bunched together. It causes pain and tenderness that radiates outward in a referral pattern. For example, a trigger in the upper back could extend between the shoulder blades. A calf triggering point can induce numbness that extends to the ankle. That radiating ache makes trigger points even more problematic and tricky to diagnose.

Common Symptoms of Trigger Points

Trigger points manifest them as sure signs, including

Localized soreness when touched
Muscle tightness and decreased flexibility
Muscle twitching and spasms
Sharp, stabbing pain
Numbness and tingling
Referral pain in surrounding areas

In athletes, trigger points reduce performance and contribute to improper biomechanics. It then causes abnormal wear and tear on the joints, ligaments, and tendons—setting you up for more chronic severe injuries.

Trigger Point Massage Therapy and Its Techniques

Trigger point therapy is a massage that applies targeted pressure to manually break up painful trigger points, says the American Massage Therapy Association. It releases muscle tension, improves circulation, relieves pain, and restores mobility to the injured area.

As a trigger point massage therapist, I use several protocols to deactivate the painful muscle knots in my clients:

1. Manual Release

I use my fingers, knuckles, and elbows to apply direct, sustained pressure to the trigger points. I hold this for 30 seconds up to a few minutes, pressing deeply into the tight muscle fibers.

This compression encourages fresh blood flow to the area and helps the muscle tissues relax. It may cause some initial discomfort, but my clients feel much better afterwards!

2. Massage Tools

I also use massage balls, rollers, and canes to allow clients to apply pressure to hard-to-reach spots between appointments. I teach them to slowly roll over the tense knots for 30-60 seconds to get a self-release of built-up tension.

3. Stretching

I give my clients gentle, therapeutic stretches to help loosen stiff, shortened muscles with trigger points. However, I caution them to avoid aggressive stretching, which could overstrain healing muscle tears.

4. Heat Therapy

I recommend that clients apply heat, such as heating pads, hot packs, or warm baths, before and after massage sessions. It boosts blood circulation to feed tense muscles. Heat therapy helps release knots when paired with massage.

5. Lifestyle Factors

I educate my clients on getting proper nutrients, staying hydrated, reducing stress, and resting injured tissues. These healthy habits help prevent and deactivate trigger points so clients feel better longer.

If massage pressure feels uncomfortable, I recommend my client communicate openly. I also advise them to drink plenty of water afterwards to flush out inflammation. My goal is for clients to keep making progress pain-free!

Let’s now discuss how trigger point massage for sports injuries works.

Trigger Point Massage for Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow, known medically as lateral epicondylitis, causes muscle pain and discomfort from overuse on the elbow’s outer edge. It’s common in racket sports players, golfers, and any activities involving repeated wrist motions. In tennis elbow, trigger points form in the wrist flexors and extensors connecting to the elbow. It causes:

Pain/tenderness on the elbow’s outer edge
Stabbing pain down the forearm
Weakened wrist and grip strength
Elbow stiffness/reduced range of motion

Treatment

Massage trigger points in the wrist flexors and extensors
Stretch and strengthen these muscles for relief
Tennis elbow straps provide support during activity
Apply ice packs to the elbow after play

Getting deep pressure on those sensitive trigger points can speed recovery and manage pain from this nagging injury!

Trigger Point Therapy for Runner's Knee

Runner’s knee, or patellofemoral pain syndrome, leads to anterior knee pain in running athletes from repetitive impact. The quadriceps and IT band can harbor trigger points that pull laterally on the kneecap. It causes improper tracking and compression pain. You may experience:

Dull, aching knee pain when walking upstairs
Knee stiffness/swelling after activity
Muscle weakness around the knees
Crepitus/crunching sounds in the knee

Treatment

Massage trigger points in quadriceps, IT band, hamstrings
Gentle foam rolling for self-myofascial release
Strengthen muscle imbalances causing improper pulling
Wear shock-absorbing shoes for cushioning

Releasing contracted trigger points helps dynamically stretch tissues, putting lateral stress on the knee joint. Less pull = less pain!

Trigger Point Therapy for Plantar Fasciitis

Trigger point massage focused on calf muscles and plantar fascia
Gentle calf stretching to relieve plantar fascia pull
Orthotics or shoe inserts providing arch support
Night splints keep calf/foot stretched

Release restrictive trigger points and adhesions pulling excessively on the plantar fascia. It alleviates overuse strain for reduced pain and inflammation.

Treatment

Trigger point massage requires clinical skills to deliver effectively and safely. Incorrect techniques or pressure can harm people with medical conditions. It can lead to pain, tissue damage, fractures, or swollen limbs. It is critical to utilize the proper technique and apply pressure precisely. It will help prevent any potential problems for those with medical conditions. Contraindications for TPMT include:

Anticoagulant medication usage puts patients at a higher bleeding/bruising risk
Advanced osteoporosis
Cancer and metastases
Congestive heart failure
Kidney disease or organ transplant history
Certain infections and site-specific inflammatory conditions
Pregnancy in first & third trimesters due to hormone-related ligament laxity

People who have a weakened immune system, are recovering from surgery, or suffer from chronic discomfort should exercise caution. Before participating in gentle sessions, obtaining a doctor’s approval is essential. I carefully screen patients during health history reviews to identify any precautions needing modification. Communication remains vital – I ask for continual feedback during sessions to avoid symptom aggravations. Staying adequately hydrated and avoiding rigorous exercise immediately after intensive TPMT also helps prevent adverse responses.

Trigger Point Massage for Rotator Cuff

The rotator cuff is a group of fibers that help support the shoulder joint. These muscles can become strained from repetitive overhead movements in sports like swimming, baseball, and volleyball. It leads to rotator cuff tendinitis with inflammation/degeneration of these tendons. Trigger points limit shoulder mobility when formed in the rotator cuff muscles and the chest, neck, and upper back, You may feel:

Shoulder stiffness and reduced range of motion
Shoulder clicking/grinding (crepitus)
Difficulty lifting arm overhead or behind the back
Radiating pain down the arm

Treatment

Release trigger points in pecs, infraspinatus, teres minor
Stretch chest muscles, pulling shoulder forward
Strengthen rotator cuff muscles for stability
Adjust activity technique, putting less strain on the shoulder

Trigger point massage improves mobility by relaxing overactive tissues, limiting your range of motion. It gives injured tissues more space to heal. Related, Top reasons to consider trigger point massage

Trigger Point Massage for Shin Splints

Shin splints cause pain along the inner tibia bone from repetitive stress like running. They’re often due to muscle imbalances between stronger quads and weaker calf/foot muscles. This imbalance causes excess strain on the tibia bone’s connective tissue (periosteum)—trigger points form in the tibialis muscles, which accelerate dysfunction. Symptoms include:

Sharp shin pain when walking/running
Inner shin tenderness and possible swelling
Foot overpronation
Muscle tightness in calves and feet

Treatment

Massage lower leg trigger points causing referred tibia pain
Correct biomechanical imbalances with strength training
Stretch and foam roll tight, stiff calf muscles
Wear shock-absorbing shoes with arch support

Releasing contracted trigger points takes the pressure off the irritated periosteum tissue, coating the bone. It reduces problematic muscle pulling so shins can heal!

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Start Healing with Trigger Point Massage

Trigger point therapy is highly effective for healing chronic sports injuries. The targeted massage techniques deactivate painful muscle knots that cause swelling, stiffness, cramping, and mobility problems after an injury.

Athletes experience less pain, increased flexibility and strength, fewer spasms, and a faster return to sports by releasing these trigger points.

I encourage anyone struggling with a nagging sports injury to explore trigger point massage at our clinic. I can create a customized treatment plan to make you feel better quickly. Invest in your health, and don’t wait to start living pain-free again.

Dr. Craig Eymann

Meet Dr. Craig Eymann, a dedicated chiropractor and yoga enthusiast with over two decades of expertise in spinal health, sports chiropractic, and personalized care, prioritizing misalignment correction for swift injury resolution.