This study by researchers at Meiji University of Oriental Medicine in Kyoto, Japan concludes it’s effective. But what, exactly, is the meaning of “trigger point?”

First, the details.

• 42 adults (age 47-80 years) with chronic neck pain for at least 6 months and a normal neurological examination were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment over 13 weeks.
• Standard acupuncture at traditional acupoints for neck pain.
• Acupuncture at the trigger point.
• Acupuncture at tenderness points for the same muscle.
• Sham treatments on the trigger point.

And, the results.

• Acupuncture at the trigger point was associated with less pain intensity and improved quality of life compared to the sham acupuncture or acupuncture at non-trigger points.

The bottom line?
The American Pain Foundation — an advocacy support group for people with pain — provides the following definition.

• A true trigger point is a localized area of muscle that causes pain in a remote area when the muscle is pressed.
• The pain caused by pressing a trigger point usually occurs in a area distant from the trigger point.
• Trigger points can feel as small as a pea or as large as a walnut.
• The knots are embedded in the muscle tissue and described as feeling like “rubbery Rice Krispies.”

Ms. Rhonda Hogan, a licensed acupuncturist, who specializes in trigger point acupuncture says, “The probability of success [with trigger point acupuncture] can usually be determined within 1 to 3 treatments.”

9/25/07 13:54 JR