Trigger Point Massage Therapy
in Santa Rosa.
Focused work that stimulates and releases "trigger points": tender knots of tension in the belly of the muscle, built up over a lifetime of physical, mental, and emotional stress. Focused pressure releases them through a variety of techniques. It can be intense at times, but the effects are lasting and profoundly transformative.
Referred pain and what people seek
Where it hurts and where the work goes are often two different places. Cleveland Clinic describes a trigger point as a knot in the muscle that hurts when pressed, with the pain felt at that spot or in an area a short distance away. That second case is referred pain, and it is why a session may spend its time somewhere you were not expecting.
Most people arrive with neck and shoulder tightness that keeps coming back. Cleveland Clinic lists muscle injury, repetitive motions and poor posture among the direct causes of this kind of muscle pain, and describes sore, tender muscles, reduced range of motion, poor sleep and headaches alongside it.
The mechanism is disputed. Reviewers have challenged the standard explanation of what a trigger point is, while agreeing that the tender spots themselves are real and that pressure on them is commonly reported to bring relief. A 2017 meta-analysis in The Clinical Journal of Pain found that therapists locating the same trigger point by hand agreed only moderately, and its authors concluded that manual palpation for this purpose is unreliable.
What a session is like
It starts with questions. The American Massage Therapy Association describes the usual intake as covering medical history, lifestyle, stress levels, medications and areas of physical pain. The therapist then leaves the room while you undress to your comfort level, and you lie under a sheet that covers everything except the part being worked.
The pace is slower and more specific than a full-body massage. The pattern is to find a tender spot by hand, settle sustained pressure into it, stay there while the sensation changes, then lengthen the tissue around it. Stretching often follows, and Cleveland Clinic lists stretching and massage among the approaches used for this kind of muscle pain.
Most people recognize the spot when it is found, and the work then stays with it for a while before moving on. Pressure is held at a level you can still breathe through, and I adjust it as we go. Say something when a spot is too much and we work around it.
Who commonly books this
- Desk and screen workers whose neck and shoulder tightness keeps returning
- People with one repeated motion in their day: a steering wheel, a trowel, a keyboard
- Anyone pressing the same sore spot with a ball or a massage gun and getting nowhere
- Gardeners, trades and runners who carry load mostly on one side
- People wanting focused work on a small area rather than a full-body session
Session lengths and rates
| Duration | Investment |
|---|---|
| 70 min | $165 |
| 90 min | $195 |
Packages are prepaid and shared across every massage style, so each session can be whatever your body needs that day. Three sessions save 15%, six save 20%, and twelve save 25%. Payment is settled in person, and cash payments earn 8% off.
What to mention when you book
A few things change how an area gets worked, so mention them when you book: blood thinners or a clotting disorder, recent surgery, a healing fracture, a skin condition over the area, or anything a doctor is currently managing. Cleveland Clinic's guidance is simple: if you have a medical condition, check with your doctor and talk with your massage therapist.
Pain that is new, severe, spreading, or arriving with numbness, tingling or weakness belongs with a clinician first. A massage therapist does not diagnose.
Common questions
What is the difference between trigger point therapy and deep tissue massage?
Can I just use a massage gun or a lacrosse ball at home?
Where the sessions happen
The boutique is at 3914 Princeton Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95405, and every session is by appointment. Booking times vary week to week. The open times shown when you book are the current ones. To ask a question before you book, call (707) 596-3117.
Other ways to work with the body
Every session is tailored on the day, so if another style fits better once you are on the table, we change course.
Where the general information on this page comes from
- Cleveland Clinic, Myofascial Pain Syndrome
- Cleveland Clinic, Benefits of Massage
- Rathbone, Grosman-Rimon & Kumbhare, 'Interrater Agreement of Manual Palpation for Identification of Myofascial Trigger Points: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis', Clin J Pain 2017;33(8):715-729
- Quintner, Bove & Cohen, 'A critical evaluation of the trigger point phenomenon', Rheumatology (Oxford) 2015;54(3):392-9
- Lucas, Macaskill, Irwig, Moran & Bogduk, 'Reliability of physical examination for diagnosis of myofascial trigger points: a systematic review', Clin J Pain 2009;25(1):80-9
- American Massage Therapy Association, "What to Expect at a Massage Session"
General information about the style of bodywork, offered so you know what to expect. It is not medical advice. For anything concerning a diagnosis, a medication or a pregnancy, please speak with your own clinician. As the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health puts it, do not use massage to postpone seeing a health care provider about a medical problem.
Ready for a session?
Pick Trigger Point Massage Therapy when you book, see the current open times, and request the one that fits.
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