You have a pain in your hand, pain in your wrist, or even a tingling sensation. Is it in the thumb and forefinger? Or in the ring finger and little finger? It makes your work uncomfortable and difficult. The pain even keeps you up at night. Before you go through a carpal tunnel surgery or take NSAIDS or other drugs associated with dangerous side effects, you may want your pain in your wrist, hand, or forearm (or all three) to be treated with safer and more effective tools such as launch point methods that you can do at home.
In this article you will learn:
• What is a trigger?
• Possible causes of trigger points.
• How to find trigger points on hands and arms
• How to treat pains in the hand and wrist
• The role of self-help in the prevention and treatment of pain in the hand
WHAT IS “TRIGGER?”?
Trigger points are described as “hypersensitive nodules” in many massage therapy books. Although there are many, many volumes, articles and entire sites devoted to this subject, most of which include trigger "maps" that show the common locations of these points, the trigger point can develop in any muscle anywhere in the body.
The cores of these points are located near the ends of the muscles, where the muscle tissue is denser when it turns into a tendon. Tendons are parts of the muscles, especially the ends of the muscles that attach to the bones. Trigger points are also located right in the thickest part, or “stomach” of the muscle.
There are many theories about what a trigger is. You have heard the term “knots” used to describe a sore spot on your shoulder or back, where, when it rubs, a lump or stroke is felt in the muscle, because it manipulates what often dispels orases with the help of massage. This can also be a trigger point, regardless of whether it is on any chart.
These bumps are considered spasms in the tissue. Dense muscles can constrict blood vessels and cause blood to sit longer in muscles. Some people believe that this is an accumulation of lactic acid, although recent studies show that lactic acid can help restore muscle after a workout, and not cause further injury.
Whatever it is, if something blocks the flow of fluid in the muscle, enough to cause bumpiness and pain, or muscle tension during a spasm, it hurts and we want to get rid of it.
The best explanation of the trigger point I, as heard, described it as a hypersensitive (which means painfully much, especially during compression) muscle section, which most likely consists of muscle fibers with adhesion, which means that due to repeated fatigue and sometimes some dehydration, the fibers and bundles of fibers in the muscles stick to each other, stick together with each other, causing a “knot” and pain or dysfunction. Because muscle tissue is interconnected with other muscles, nerves, and organs through the fascial network, this pain may apply to other areas.
TRIGGER POINTS AND MUSCLE ANTOMATION; ACTIVE TRIGGER POINTS
We don’t have room here to discuss muscle anatomy in detail, but just remember that the muscles are made up of small sections called “bundles,” which are basically bundles of muscle fibers. Fascycles are similar to steel cables, without twisting. Fibers, which are wires similar to steel cable, instead of being twisted like these wires, are parallel to each other and slide against each other with each movement, separated by thin sheets of fascia.
The blisters, in their own fascial sheath, also slide over each other. These different sections, moving back and forth, allow you to make different movements, for example, lifting your leg to walk, not lifting it to hit the ball, or performing a dance movement.
All three require movement of the leg, with varying degrees of flexion, stretching, rotation, etc., and the components of the muscles allow these actions to occur with various subtle differences. When adhesions form, these fibers and bundles adhere, causing knots, trigger points, pain, and dysfunction.
Trigger points are damaged during compression. Sometimes it hurts them a lot. Often, “active” trigger points indicate pain to other muscles or parts of the body. This referral is probably carried through nerves, but may also include fascia or connective tissue tissue that connects the body's systems together.
Whatever the methods of circulation, when you click on an active launch point in one place, it hurts in this place, as well as in another place. This pain in referral can be experienced in another part of the same muscle, auxiliary muscle, or even another part of the body. For pain in the hand, the trigger points in the forearm are often called pain by the hands and fingers.
AUXILIARY MUSCLE: EXTENSORS AND FLEXOR
The forearm muscles of the front or “palm” are called “flexors” because when they contract (the muscles either contract or rest, or some combination of them during any movement of the body), they cause the fingers to bend. For example, creating a fist requires flexing all fingers.
The muscles on the back of the forearm are called “extensors”, and do the opposite action of the flexors (they are called “antagonists” of each other, because they cause opposition actions). The extension of the hands for a handshake requires the expansion of all fingers.
Just for fun (it shows you how exciting my life is), pull up your sleeve and look at your hand. Move your fingers and you will see the muscles twitch in your forearms to move your fingers. You can see the extensors tendons on the back of your hand. Muscles move in the direction of the limbs and bones, from the elbow to the arm. In fact, I watch my extensors move right now as they type, which does not help me type.
In the next article we will talk about how to maintain work during work.
WHERE IS A TRIGGER POINT AND HOW DO WE FIND THEM?
Trigger points are easy to find. If you click on them, they hurt a lot more than adequate points. When I taught massage therapy, I would like the students to draw X on their hands and arms, where they find the trigger points. You can also use Google’s “trigger point” and find online graphics that will show these points. But drawing on yourself is much more interesting.
There are also videos that show how to find the trigger points on the forearm and the main muscles that will help you find the muscles you want to treat. Please refer to these videos or images to help you. You can search for “trigger points in the forearm” and see a lot of articles, photos, illustrations.
The trigger points shown in these resources approximate the location of your trigger points; in order to actually treat them, you need to find them, which means that you need to click on them to see if they are hurting.
HOW TO FIND YOUR OWN TRIGGER POINTS
Just because the trigger point is on a chart or photo, does not mean that it will be in the same place on your hand. Trigger points vary depending on the size of the person, the amount of muscle density, the actual cause of the trigger point and other factors.
It takes a lot of skills and experience for a chiropractor, massage therapist, acupuncturist, physiotherapist or other practitioner to find the trigger points in others. Often they communicate with a client or patient to help find them, putting pressure on a point and asking how much it hurts on a scale from 1 to 10. Fortunately, it is much easier to find them on yourself. And there is no need for dialogue, of course, you do not want it.
Most of the muscles in your forearms, called flexors and extensors, begin at or near the elbow and stretch to your wrist, pass through the carpal tunnel (in the form of narrow tendons), separating this space with nerves and blood vessels, and then attach to the fingers and fingers . These muscles control the movement of the hands and fingers. Therefore, when there is pain in the arm or wrist, this is often reported from the trigger points in these muscles.
Sit at the table or table, the right palm and the back of the hand resting on the surface. The elbow point closest to your body is called the medial humeral epicondyle, the bony guide on one of the three bones that make up the elbow.
Using your thumb or forefinger, feel the bones from the bone, where the medial epicondyl is, on the other side of the forearm just below the elbow joint, stopping to feel where it hurts the most. In addition, feel each part of the muscle near the elbow in the direction of the wrist, concentrating on the “pile” of muscles just below the elbow. It is there that many trigger points will be found, in addition to the points where the muscles become a tendon.
Most of these muscles turn on the tendon halfway down the forearm, so the trigger points are mostly closer to the elbow, where the abdomens of these muscles are located. However, there are also points in the wrist and hands, between the pasterns (the bones in the hand that extend to the fingers) and the wrists.
You basically cover this entire area by clicking on each point as you move across and up and down the muscles. This is like the Battleship game, only if you miss, you just go again. When you find a place that is a keeper, than you expect, even with light pressure, and this is not just pain, but almost burning pain, this is a trigger point.
If you hold on to it and feel pain elsewhere, for example, on your wrist, arm, or on the opposite side of your arm, this is a referral pain, and this is an active trigger point. Pay attention to the place of referral pain, as you wish to return to this later, when you are ready to self-treat.
Then rotate the arm and examine the extensor muscles (back side). Most of these sources originate from the bony relief on the opposite side of the elbow joint from the lateral epicondyle. This is a new word for many, Epicondyle.
The pain in the trigger points on the palmar side of the forearm is often referred to as “medial epicondylitis,” more commonly known as “Tennis elbow,” while the pain in the “Golfer” elbow is often on the side. If you are having trouble finding epicondyles, just enter your search terms in google and you will find images in abundance.
Probe and palpation, as on the front side of the forearm, up and down and across to find the trigger points in the extensors. Note that sometimes you may feel a slight bump or dent in the muscle tissue where the trigger point is located. It is believed (by some) that this is the fossa effect caused by the fiber or fibers of the muscles in compression, while the rest of the muscle is relaxed. In any case, if you find one of them, this is another proof that you are on the trigger point.
In an interesting remarkable note, many acupuncture points, also used in Shiatsu, Thai and acupressure massage, resemble the client as trigger points, as well as the therapist, as small bumps or indentations in muscle or bone.
Repeat the above study on your left hand. And the practice of using "epicondyle" in a sentence. Great icebreaker at a party. By the way, stretching and trigger massage are great ways to tie a tennis elbow and a golfer's elbow.
TRIGGER POINT OF TREATMENT OF CARPIAL TUNNEL PAIN
So you found the trigger points that appear to be connected to your hand, wrist, and fingers. Now what?
First, it is likely that you do not have carpal tunnel syndrome. It is not intended to be diagnosed, but if your pain is caused by muscle tension from overuse and tension, it is probably not caused by inflammation of the wrist tunnel (or inflammation of the tendons in the wrist tunnel). In this case, it would be logical to try other treatment methods before considering anything more serious, like an operation.
If you can afford a massage from a licensed therapist, great. You can even use self-analysis to help them find the trigger points and release them, using “ischemic compression,” a deep pressure directly on the trigger point (this can be painful, but just breathing through it). And do not be shy. Massage therapists and other practitioners love working with clients who are tuned to their own bodies and what they need. And if your not, consider finding another practitioner.
This method causes ischemia, which means that it pushes all the blood into muscle tissue from this area (for example, when you press a tube of toothpaste, pushing toothpaste away from the area being compressed so that it pushes out of the nozzle onto your toothbrush ). Then, after decompression, the blood flows back immediately, which in fact increases the blood flow to the trigger point, bringing the necessary oxygen and nutrients that can help release the point.
While you feel your fingers and press on the hand, if you find the trigger point, apply ischemic compression with your finger or fingers, firmly holding the dot for a minute to 90 seconds. You will notice that the skin becomes lighter (ischemia causes the blood to temporarily leave the area), and when you let go, the color will return. If the pain is transferred to another place, it is also good to massage this area. Continue to cover other items until all of them have been processed.
OPTIONS OF TREATMENT OF THE PLANE
There are several options for self-treatment of pain in the hand and wrist. Stretching before and after work or tasks is always extremely useful and will be described in detail in the next article. In addition to self-triggering trigger points, you can also search for stretching videos (for example, look for “stretching methods for the wrist tunnel”).
My interest in treating the pain in my hand and wrists as a massage therapist and educator led me to this interest in self-treatment. And I was not alone. There are several commercially available products that use rollers or rolling balls or other methods for self-massage of hands and arms.
All of them work on the same basic application of the theory and technology of massage, applying pressure and movement (usually by the user) to replicate massage techniques such as effectu, muscle removal, friction, deep tissues, and even a trigger point. Any product that allows you to compress trigger points in a strong, concentrated way can be used for trigger point technology, that is, ischemic compression.
Products vary in quality of delivery, ease of use, portability and great for many: price. For example, one device is attached to a table or table with suction cups without scratches. The pressure is provided by internal springs, while with other people the user must apply pressure by holding the hands of the massager together with the other hand or by leaving or pushing down (gravity) against the rollers.
All of these products have their own list of attributes. See what the characteristics of each product are, as well as the price, size, etc. And see which one is best for you. If you live near the store where these tools are stored, they will usually have several attempts.
As with self-treatment, if you press the trigger points with one hand with your opponent’s thumb, it can help to pin the pain. But since you use one hand to treat the other, it is reasonable that the farmer’s hand will be tense with this, and then also need to be treated. Therefore, for some people who work with hands, a self-help tool, rather than self-massage, makes sense.
The carpal tunnel massage therapy is great because the therapist has the experience and you don’t train your own hand to massage the arm, but the massage can be expensive. Self-help devices are not designed to replace massage, physical therapy, or chiropractors, but rather complement and strengthen it. In fact, many are sold by chiropractors and massage therapists to their patients and clients.
Therefore, even if you get a massage, or go to a PT or chiropractor or an acupuncturist, daily self-care at home, whether using only your fingers or using a device or tool, will only enhance professional work, making it more effective faster and helping to extend these effects.
(For more on Carpal Tunnel, see the popular Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpal_tunnel_syndrome)
