Trigger points are described as hyper-irritable spots in skeletal muscle that are associated with palpable nodules in taut bands of muscle fibers. Trigger point researchers believe that palpable nodules are small contraction knots and a common cause of pain. Compression of a trigger point may elicit local tenderness, pain elsewhere, or local twitch response.
When I was studying [trigger point therapy], I read the two volumes by Travell & Simons.
I recall that they said besides the ordinary trigger points that develop from muscle strain, if one has a diseased organ (e.g. heart, gallbladder, etc.), sometimes it can prompt development of a trigger point in a muscle nearby….
If you identify a trigger point, there are do-it-yourself instructions that can sometimes really help. Instead of the anaesthetic that is used by a practitioner, there is a special technique [in which ice is used]. …
It might be that if you could release one or more trigger points it could make a big difference. Once they arise, they can be self-perpetuating.
Joyce Waterhouse, PhD