Definiton

• Knots are commonly found in the back.
  
  Trigger points are more commonly known as knots. They are located within the tissue fiber of our skeletal muscles, and can become uncomfortable and painful. There are two types of trigger points, active and latent. An active trigger point will be painful without stimulation, while a latent trigger point is only painful when provoked. The knots are mostly found in the mid- and upper-back, neck muscles and calves. They can be caused by poor posture, stress, strain and muscular trauma.
  
  

Manual Trigger Point Therapy

• Manual therapy
  
  There are two ways to treat knots, the first of which being manual trigger point therapy. The therapist will apply pressure gradually with his thumb directly onto the patient's trigger point, causing pain. When the patient has indicated that the aching he feels is at 70 percent of his pain threshold, the therapist then keeps his thumb at that level of pressure for 90 seconds in order to break up the knot. After the therapist removes his finger, the patient should feel a decrease in muscle tightness.
  
  

Low-Level Laser Therapy

• Laser
  
  The second and most popular method is low-level laser therapy, in which a laser is applied to the trigger point for a specific amount of time. The length of the procedure changes when other variables are manipulated because the time is determined by the laser's set level of intensity. The laser encourages cell generation, which can repair tissue and relieve pain.