Trigger point therapy is a massage technique that involves applying pressure to tender muscle tissue in order to relieve pain and in other parts of the body. Sometimes massage and trigger point therapy are performed together.

Trigger points are areas of tenderness in a muscle. There are two basic types of trigger points: active and latent.

Active trigger points can cause muscular pain and will send pain and tenderness to a different area of the body when pressure is applied. Latent trigger points only show pain when compressed, they do not send pain to other areas of the body. Latent trigger points are thought to be one of the causes of stiff joints and restricted motion in old age.

Trigger points have several causes. Some common causes of trigger points are: an injury sustained in a fall or accident, poor posture, or even overexertion.

The purpose of trigger point therapy is to eliminate pain and to re-teach the muscles into pain-free habits. After several treatments, the swelling and stiffness of muscular pain is reduced, range of motion will be increased, tension will be relieved, and circulation, flexibility and coordination are improved.