Myofascial Trigger Points
You press on a tight knot in one muscle and feel the pain somewhere else. A knot near your shoulder blade, for example, can send an ache up into your head.
What it is
A trigger point is a small spot in a muscle stuck in a shortened state. It refers pain to a predictable place away from itself. Travell and Simons documented these patterns, and they explain why rubbing the place that hurts often doesn't help.
What makes it worse
Held postures, repeatedly overloading a muscle, and stress all feed these points. They hang on when nobody treats the muscle actually causing the referral.
How PNMT helps
Your therapist is trained to trace referral patterns backward, from where you feel the pain to the muscle causing it, then apply precise pressure to that exact point until you confirm "that's my pain." Relief can be immediate once the right point is found. If your symptoms don't behave like muscle referral, your therapist will refer you for medical evaluation.
What to expect & how long
When the source point is found, the pain it refers can quiet quickly, sometimes within one visit. More often several muscles each contribute, so the work goes point by point, and your therapist will tell you which ones are responding. You can also learn simple self-treatment for a stubborn point between visits.
What clients say
Sarah is amazing! She is both kind and great at helping to resolve chronic pain. My TMJ has improved so much with her care.
I've been going to soma vida for around 4-5 years. I think at this point for neuromuscular therapy. My coworker recommended it for my back pain. I mostly make appts with Yu, but I think I've had appts with everyone there atleast once. The treatment can be painful but I always come out feeling so light and so much better than before. I've had chronic neck pain from my desk job and other pain in areas that is only fixed by whatever they do here. They truly care about you and want to make sure you leave feeling better.
I've been going to Somavida for years because they are the only place I've found with the right combination of expertise and ability to eliminate pain when I have muscle pulls or strains, and help me stay “tuned up” to avoid future injuries. I spend most of my time working behind a desk and Somavida is a critical part of helping me stay healthy and out of injury from my strained neck and back. I personally work with Yu Suzuki and she is phenomenal. Truly a “pain detective” that has helped me find the root issue with muscle problems countless times. This is a place to come and heal and avoid future injury without medication or judgment. Can’t recommend Somavida enough!!!
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Get help for Myofascial Trigger Points
Book a New Client Session. Your therapists will find the source of your pain and build a treatment plan for you.
75-minute first visit. Two therapists assess and one treats. Every follow-up is one-on-one with your therapist.
The whole Somavida team stands behind your treatment plan.