Unlock Your Body-Trigger Point Technology

I had an incredible privilege last october to meet and train with some of the best of the best in the fitness industry.  One of the partners in this Under Armour Combine360 Training Event was a company called Trigger Point Technologies (TPT).  What they do is provide a way for athletes to 'unlock their bodies' by using trigger point training via self myofascial release techniques.  Along with SMR and many other healing techniques they have created ways for athletes to reduce and eliminate pain in their bodies.  For those of us, whether its triathlon training or getting into better shape after not exercising for 20 years, who have constant body pain every morning and evening, this is a great way to alleviate that pain and allow you to train smarter and safer.


What in the world is fascia???
Source: wisegeek

Fascia is strong connective tissue which performs a number of functions, including enveloping and isolating the muscles of the body, providing structural support and protection. It is a product of mesenchyme, a type of connective tissue which develops in embryos before differentiating into numerous other structures in the body. Mesechyme also forms the foundation for bone, cartilage, and important components of the circulatory and lymphatic systems. Fascia is a very important part of the body, and it has three layers, starting with the superficial fascia directly under the skin and ending with subserous fascia, deep inside the body.  

Fascia is thin, but very fibrous and strong. Anyone who has skinned chicken breasts or trimmed meat has encountered fascia, the whitish colored thin sheets of tissue between the skin and muscle of the meat. Fascia forms directly under the skin and serves as a strong layer of connective tissue between the skin and muscles underneath it. 

The top layer of fascia is superficial fascia, which may be mixed with varying amounts of fat, depending on where it is on the body. The skull and hands have a particularly noticeable layer of superficial fascia which connects the skin to the tissues and bone underneath it. By wriggling your scalp, you can see that superficial fascia is strong but flexible, keeping the skin firmly anchored while allowing its owner to move freely.

Underneath the superficial fascia lies deep fascia, a much more densely packed and strong layer of fascia. Deep fascia covers the muscles in connective tissue aggregations which help to keep the muscles divided and protected. On occasion, this fascia can create tight knots or connective adhesions which act as trigger points which can cause pain. A variety of treatments including myofascial release and stretching are used to treat this condition, which can be debilitating and extremely painful. If a patient is diagnosed with a condition like myofascial pain syndrome, it may be useful to know that the term myofascial means “fascia related to the muscles,” and that these conditions do not necessarily involve the superficial and subserous fascia.

What are trigger points?


Trigger points are basically small painful knots in your skeletal muscle which in turn affect your muscle fibers. This is the source most most muscle pain, hence the term 'knots'.  By using Trigger Point Therapy one can help reduce and eliminate muscle pain leading to more comfort and increased athletic performance.  




Trigger Point Charts: 

You can visit the Trigger Point website here.  

Here are some highlights of Trigger Point.