To Stretch or Not to Stretch is Not the Question

Why?

Because you can stretch statically or dynamically for hours and if there’s a trigger point pattern present,  you will not increase a sustained range of movement.

Trigger Point patterns can also make stretching more difficult, which keeps its benefit in question for some.

Quick Review: Trigger points are those knobby knots we feel in the neuromuscular system. They adhese down layers of the muscle tissue and can pile on top of one another or form a small group.  Trigger points can have unexpected qualities from being latent (can’t feel it until someone presses on it) to causing referred pain (pressing one on the neck, feeling it in the thigh). They ultimately inhibit range of motion and contribute to tightness in joints, often of the jaw, shoulders and hips variety which affect the head, neck and back and general core musculature.

Therapeutic tools such as a foam roller or a massage stick can help with trigger points, especially the ones felt in big muscle groups such as the gluteus maximus and quadriceps.

Dismantling trigger points require the ability to detect their whereabouts within the multiple muscle levels they occupy, to utilize varying degrees of pressure to reduce them and to reprogram them via integration of the nervous system.

Oftentimes the following issues arise from a trigger point patterns: neck has limited range of motion; tension or pain is present along the shoulder blade; pectoralis is tight; low back hurts when doing squats. If these are occurring, scheduling a Bodywork session would help.  

Trigger Points are actually your friend. Their purpose is to prevent overuse of a muscle group. The body develops trigger points to literally stop itself from potential injury. Once trigger point patterns are reorganized in the body, the muscle group is free for all sorts of activities, including stretching, whether or not you choose to do it.