Find Trigger Points for the Shoulder
Small lumps or bulges in the muscles of the shoulders can produce pain symptoms in the shoulder. These little areas of tightness, known as a knotted muscle or trigger points, occur within the muscle or fascia, the thin covering of the internal structures of the body. When trigger points are located in the shoulder, they can also cause pain that radiates down into the arm or back and up into the neck and head. Locating these points is the first step to easing the pain and radiating symptoms they can create.
Instructions
1. Warm up the shoulder with gentle gliding strokes. Glide your open hand across the muscle that runs from the shoulder joint to the neck towards the center of the body, applying mild palm pressure. Then proceed back to the shoulder blade with gentle fingertip pressure to maintain skin contact. Repeat three to five times. Proceed to the muscle between the shoulder blade and spine, and repeat upward gliding stroke towards the neck three to five times. For self-help, mild fingertip pressure may be performed between shoulder joint and neck.
2. Release general musculature tightness with kneading massage strokes. Begin near the shoulder joint where the muscle bulk begins. Grasp a section of the muscle and squeeze with mild pressure, much like kneading bread dough. Continue until reaching the neck area. Repeat three to five times. Modify kneading stroke for area between the shoulder blade and spine by using the thumb and fingertips, being careful not to pinch the muscle or skin.
3. Glide fingertips along the muscles of the shoulder with light to moderate pressure until knotted or tight muscle areas are located. Muscle tightness has a harder feel than relaxed muscles.
4. Perform light to moderate fingertip pressure in a circular motion to help detect areas of tightness and trigger points. A trigger point will feel like a tiny lump or bunching of the muscle which, when pressed, will produce pain or a radiating pain sensation that projects into another area of the body. If you have difficulty locating trigger points, try moderate thumb pressure, increasing in pressure until you locate the points.
5. Continue fingertip pressure techniques in entire shoulder and neck area.
Tags: fingertip pressure, between shoulder, five times, shoulder blade, shoulder joint, three five