Fascia is stress responsive, becoming thicker in response to real or perceived threats. When an injury to the muscle occurs the muscle responds by contracting or tightening in an effort to protect itself and the underlying organs. The contraction can lead to a compromise of the muscle’s own blood supply and thus oxygen is unable to reach the area. The physical finding of a discrete, circumscribed painful area in a muscle body, sometimes felt as a taut band or ‘knot’, establishes the diagnosis and is referred to as a trigger point. Therefore a trigger point is an area of local nerve facilitation of a muscle or small areas of hyperirritability within muscles. If these areas are located near motor nerve points, the patient may experience referred pain caused by nerve stimulation. Not only can the condition be painful but it also can restrict movement or function.

The objective of treatment is to relax the muscle by stopping the contraction or spasm. Various methods are used to treat trigger points and myofascial pain including: