If you don’t have a PhD in medicine, you probably don’t know much about your own body. There is so much going on inside of us that we don’t have to think about, thankfully. Because if we had to know how our body works in order to keep it running, most of us would probably die of stupidity. Because of this, our bodies keep many secrets from us. Just one of our body parts that lies to us is our neck. You might not have thought that your neck has a secret. But it does. Or at least it might. And that secret is myofascial trigger points.
What’s the big secret?
Myofascial trigger points are “knots” in your muscles. Of course, you didn’t somehow actually get your muscles in a knot. That would hurt much worse than these kinds of “knots.” These “knots” or trigger points are tight, sensitive spots in the soft tissue of your muscles. When you have an abundance of these trigger points, it is called myofascial pain syndrome, but in most cases, people just have a few “knots.” Myofascial trigger points are as common as pimples, but don’t worry about getting myofascial pain syndrome because trigger points are to myofascial pain syndrome like pimples are to acne. Less people have acne and less people have myofascial pain syndrome.
Trigger points can cause pain throughout your body. Usually trigger points are made by repetitive motions from physical activity or from stress-induced muscle tension. Pain from a trigger point can reach parts of your body that seem to be unrelated to the actual source of pain. This is called referred pain. So how does this relate to your neck pain? The pain in your neck might be coming from a “knot” in your upper back or another part of your body. When you find that trigger point and relieve its tension, the pain in your neck could go away.
How do you know if you have neck pain from knots in your back?
Some symptoms of myofascial trigger points include deep pain in your muscles, pain that gets worse, tender knots in your muscles, or difficulty sleeping because of pain. You are more prone to trigger points if you have experienced a muscle injury or if you have done a repetitive physical exercise. Those who are constantly stressed are also more inclined to have “knots” in their muscles. Stress-induced trigger points appear because of the tension that comes with stress.
How do you get rid of the pain?
The best way to get rid of trigger points is through trigger point therapy. Chirp’s products help get rid of trigger points, especially those in hard-to-reach places. The first product you can use to help reach trigger points is the Chirp Wheel+. The Chirp Wheel+ is especially beneficial for that secret your neck was keeping from you. As you roll out the muscles in between your shoulder blades with the wheel, the trigger points are massaged away and the referred pain from the trigger point goes away too. Another great product for getting rid of trigger points is the Peanut Ball XL. Just like the Chirp Wheel+, the Peanut Ball XL can get those hard-to-reach muscles in between your shoulder blades, but the Peanut Ball XL massages much deeper into the muscle tissue. Finally, the Trigger Point Hook can help reach the trigger points directly. Use the Trigger Point Hook when you have found the location of the “knot” in your back to massage the “knot” right out. Go to our whole Upper Back Pain Collection to see what other products can help you with upper back pain. And if you’re not 100% sure your neck pain is coming from trigger points, see our Neck Pain Collection for options on how to get rid of other types of neck pain.
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