Trigger point therapy is increasingly popular. If you’ve ever experienced sore, tight, and tired muscles, it could be exactly the innovative treatment you need.

A trigger point is a group of tight, contracted muscle fibers within a larger muscle. It’s still not clear exactly what causes them, but based on research done so far, a widely accepted hypothesis is that the body might release an excess of a specific neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.

Trigger points can be either active or latent. The first type typically is tender, causing pain when pressed or stimulated. They have a pattern of referred pain. Latent trigger points can remain “dormant” for an extended period of time and generally are not an issue unless pressed or aggravated by another stimulus, such as an injury.