If you answered yes to any of these, then you may have active trigger points. Only a medical professional can provide a diagnosis, but a qualified massage therapist can easily provide relief of this  pain. If relief is not found, after one to three treatments then you may be referred to  doctor, chiropractoer or other  medical professional.

Why does the pain occur away from the trigger point?
The referred sensations do not follow known neurological pathways. There are different theories: one in very simple terms is analogous to peripheral neuropathy, where nerves for the toe are wired to the "toe" area of your brain, and no matter where the 3 foot long "toe" nerve is affected along its length, pain is felt in the toe. Other examples of referred pain are  "brain freeze" after drinking a cold liquid, and "phantom pain" in an amputated limb. Common referral patterns have been mapped out by researchers such as Janet Travell, but sometimes unusual or unpredictable trigger points referrals can be experienced. One of the current theories about trigger points suggests that trigger point referrals are facilitated through our energy meridian system.

Trigger Point referral will cause increased local nervous system activity, which results in hard, tight muscles and decreased circulation. This decreased circulation, called ischemia, may cause additional trigger points, and could eventually manifest serious pathologies. For example, a headache or migraine may be the result of active trigger points in the neck muscles. Trigger points in the lower back muscle, quadratus lumborum, that may refer into kidneys could eventually contribute to the formation of kidney stones. (1). Trigger Point referrals may also cause disturbances that could lead to different physiological dysfunctions such as hormonal imbalances or digestive problems (1) A trigger point in the piriformis muscle can cause sciatic pain, which may be misdiagnosed as spine trouble; or arm and neck trigger points could  mimic carpal tunnel syndrome. (2)

Most trigger points can be reduced or eliminated naturally with direct manual pressure from your massage therapist. This is by far the most effective trigger point treatment. It is very time consuming and requires skill, effort and concentration from your therapist. Some physicians will use probes that measure electrical activity in your tissues to locate trigger points and then inject a small amount of local pain reliever, muscle relaxer or other chemical. An acupuncturist will needle the area to relieve to symptoms. Ice and stretch are used by doctors and physical therapists. These invasive techniques provide only limited effectiveness. 

The simplest and least invasive method of locating trigger points is by pressing or holding firmly with the thumb, fingers, elbows or feet, and they are used everyday by trained masssage therapisits. After release of trigger points in a muscle, several seconds of gentle stretching can help "reset" the muscle. Howeve,r stretching of affected muscles is recommended only if there is no pain, since muscle strands containing trigger points may be strained before the surrounding fibers "feel" a stretch.  Your massage therapist can also teach you  how to release trigger points yourself .

Even though medical journals have documented the effectiveness of  Trigger Point Pressure Release  in the past 60 years, there are still many in the medical community that have not yet recognized that a skilled massage therapist may possibly be able to  remove  pain that mainstream medicine can not.  Trigger Point Massage Therapy is a simple, and natural way to resolve pain and referred sensations your body has accumulated.