Myofascial Trigger Points
You press on a tight, ropey knot in one muscle and the pain lights up somewhere else entirely, a knot near your shoulder blade that sends an ache up into your head. That jump from where you press to where it hurts is the signature.
What it is
A trigger point is the smallest part of a muscle locked in a shortened state, and its hallmark is referring pain to a predictable spot away from itself. The pattern was documented by Travell and Simons, and it explains why rubbing the place that hurts so often goes nowhere.
What makes it worse
Sustained postures, repeated overload of a muscle, and stress all tend to feed these points, and they linger when the muscle actually creating the referral is never the one anyone treats.
How PNMT helps
Your therapist is trained to read referral patterns backward, from where you feel the pain to the muscle producing it, then apply precise pressure to that exact point until your feedback confirms "that's my pain." Relief can be immediate once the right point is found. If your symptoms don't behave like a muscular referral, that's a signal to step back and point you toward medical evaluation instead.
What to expect & how long
When the source point is found, the pain it refers can quiet quickly, sometimes within a visit. More often several muscles each contribute their own piece, so the work proceeds point by point as a sequence, and your therapist will tell you plainly which ones are responding. Because the patterns become recognizable, you can also be shown simple self-treatment for a stubborn point between visits.
What clients say
Sarah is amazing! She is both kind and great at helping to resolve chronic pain. My TMJ has improved so much with her care.
I've been going to soma vida for around 4-5 years. I think at this point for neuromuscular therapy. My coworker recommended it for my back pain. I mostly make appts with Yu, but I think I've had appts with everyone there atleast once. The treatment can be painful but I always come out feeling so light and so much better than before. I've had chronic neck pain from my desk job and other pain in areas that is only fixed by whatever they do here. They truly care about you and want to make sure you leave feeling better.
I've been going to Somavida for years because they are the only place I've found with the right combination of expertise and ability to eliminate pain when I have muscle pulls or strains, and help me stay “tuned up” to avoid future injuries. I spend most of my time working behind a desk and Somavida is a critical part of helping me stay healthy and out of injury from my strained neck and back. I personally work with Yu Suzuki and she is phenomenal. Truly a “pain detective” that has helped me find the root issue with muscle problems countless times. This is a place to come and heal and avoid future injury without medication or judgment. Can’t recommend Somavida enough!!!
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Ready to Address Your Myofascial Trigger Points?
Book a New Client Session and your therapist will identify the source of your pain, then create a tailored treatment plan.
75-minute first visit. Two therapists assess, one treats; every follow-up is one-on-one with your therapist.
Your care isn't shaped by one therapist, the whole Somavida team is behind your treatment plan.