Trigger Point Therapy: Integrative Health for Athletes

We like to call trigger point therapy ‘pre-hab’ rather than rehab. At OYM, we tend to see many runners come in with injuries from the knees down such as plantar fasciitis. Our cyclists complain more about injuries from the knees up, like hip, thigh and IT band tightness.

Trigger points are localized areas of inflammation in tissue which may be the result of muscle overuse, mechanical overload, lack of exercise, improper physical conditioning, chronic stress, joint problems or vitamin deficiencies. In more chronic cases, these problematic areas can become scar tissue encased within the muscle and result in serious injuries.

(Photo from Trigger Point Performance Therapy website).

Regardless of the cause, trigger points can be extremely painful and may include motor dysfunction, muscle weakness, reduced range of motion and painful movement.

We've found that applying graduated pressure to the area for a small amount of time either by hand or through the use of a foam roller or a trigger point massage ball provides good relief for our athletes. We now have several options and sizes of both items available in the shop:

For longstanding benefits to be obtained, trigger point release should always be accompanied with proper postural retraining along with appropriate exercise and stretching techniques.

Many of our OYM athletes obtain benefit from our Trigger Point Performance Therapy line of integrative health products which includes foam rollers of varying sizes and diameters. We also offer complete sets such as the Hip and Lower Back Kit as well as the Foot and Lower Leg Kit which our athletes can use daily at home for self-care. 

These are some of the most versatile yet underrated products in our store. At-home trigger point therapy options are far less expensive than a single visit to a physical therapist or a chiropractor.

Trigger Point Therapy Performance products come in varying multi-density construction to mimic the natural pliability of your hand which keeps you from applying too much pressure for too long of a time. The net effect of doing so could do more damage to the surrounding tissue, and you definitely don't want that.

We're happy to provide one-on-one instruction in the proper use of all our therapeutic products to make sure you use them properly. I became U6 certified through the Trigger Point University back in 2009 and was trained directly by Cassidy Phillips; CEO and founder of Trigger Point Performance Therapy, bio-mechanical specialist and accomplished triathlete.

Watch for our June 2014 article on this topic in Florida Weekly's Healthy Living Magazine. 

Love Peace and Bicycle Grease,

Matt & Julie