What is a Trigger Point?

A knot in my pelvis... ouch ?

Such a good question! And one that we get asked all the time! Here’s a definition from the American Academy of Family Physicians,

“Trigger points are discrete, focal, hyperirritable spots located in a taut band of skeletal muscle. They produce pain locally and in a referred pattern and often accompany chronic musculoskeletal disorders”.

The next question is…what do you do about a trigger point?

“The decision to treat trigger points by manual methods or by injection depends strongly on the training and skill of the physician as well as the nature of the trigger point itself.”

Ahem….let’s get with the program AANP and include NP, CNM, and PA, please!

After a clinic day in front of your laptop, you have a knot in your neck…you instinctively place your hand on the tight spot, maintain gentle pressure with your finger pads until the knot gives way, and voila, you’ve just eased the knot in your neck! Did you know that your pelvic floor muscles can also get knots?

Pelvic exams are totally in your wheelhouse as an NP, CNM, PA, or MD. With the right training and support, you can include palpation of trigger points with ease. Adding this simple palpation assessment to your pelvic exam is a beautiful teaching moment for your patient- and it validates their symptoms. This is an essential tool for your clinical toolbox!

Clinical pearl: watch this clip from our premier course, Beyond the Kegel?- “What is a trigger point”- where you’ll learn about the thenar eminence analogy from our awesome colleague, Dr. Elise Day - and you’ll be able to identify pelvic floor muscle trigger points!

?Let us know how it goes!

Until next week,

Kathy & Melissa