TRIGGER POINT AND MOTOR POINT ACUPUNCTURE - SPECIALIZING IN MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS

Subsequent to my formal education, my studies have focused on applying the modern biomedical understanding of the body to the practice of acupuncture, specifically for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions. This interest has led me to the practice of trigger point and motor point acupuncture, working directly on the muscles and fascia and their connections to the nervous system. This is a particularly practical and effective method for several reasons:

• Muscles and fascia are very prone to tension and restriction, and they respond quickly to treatment.
• The muscles and fascia are intricately connected to the skeletal system and they surround and penetrate the other tissues and organs: healing of muscles and fascia initiates healing in these other structures and systems.
• Working on the specific points where nerves penetrate the muscles creates beneficial changes that become wired into the body's neuromuscular memory.
• Significant changes in muscles create results that are readily felt by the patient, and these changes can be maintained at home through proper stretching and exercise - acupuncture can strongly enhance and accelerate physical therapy
• Physical pain comes in many forms and is extremely pervasive in the modern world; it is well-treated by this approach. 

As trigger points (points of soft tissue tension) and motor points (points where nerves penetrate the muscle belly) are released, the muscle relaxes and softens, promoting the proper circulation of blood, nutrients, and metabolic wastes. Adjoining and opposing muscles are allowed to return to their natural length, reducing strain on tendons, ligaments, and bones. Joints align. Inflammation and pain are reduced and chronic structural patterns are released, creating an ideal environment for healing and recovery which ripples through every system of the body.

Trigger point and motor point acupuncture are ideal for the treatment of a variety of musculoskeletal conditions:

• sports and repetitive strain injuries: tennis elbow, sprained ankle, carpel tunnel, fractures...
• chronic pain: low back pain, headache, plantar fasciitis, migraine, arthritis...
• muscle tension and weakness: limited range of motion, poor posture, joint problems...
• workout recovery and preventive care: post-workout soreness, health maintenance...

While trigger point and motor point needling were developed primarily for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions, in many situations they can initiate deeper treatments. Furthermore, the successful treatment of a musculoskeletal condition will sometimes directly resolve some other apparently unrelated medical problem.