Neuro Muscular Techniques (NMT)

Question 1

What is a trigger point?

Answer 1

A clinical finding with the following characteristics:
Pain related to a discrete, irritable point in skeletal muscle or fascia
The painful point can be felt as a nodule or band in the muscle, and a twitch response can be elicited on stimulation of the point
Palpation of the point reproduces the patient’s complaint of pain, which radiates in the muscle harbouring the point

Question 2

What are the potential causes of trigger points?

Answer 2

Acute or chronic muscle overload
Disease
Direct trauma to the region
Accident trauma (e.g., car accident stressing many muscles)

Question 3

How are trigger points classified?

Answer 3

As potential, active, or latent
Key versus satellite
Primary versus secondary

Question 4

What is an active trigger point?

Answer 4

A trigger point that actively refers pain either locally or to another location

Question 5

What is a latent trigger point?

Answer 5

A trigger point that exists, but does not yet refer pain actively, but may do so when pressure or strain is applied to the myofascial structure containing the trigger point

Question 6

What is a key trigger point?

Answer 6

A trigger point that has a pain referral pattern along a nerve pathway that activates or creates a latent trigger point on the pathway

Question 7

What is a satellite trigger point?

Question 8

What is a satellite trigger point?

Answer 8

A trigger point which is activated by a key trigger point
Successful treatment of the key trigger point will often resolve the satellite, either converting it from being active to latent or completely treating it

Question 9

What are primary and secondary trigger points?

Answer 9

A primary trigger point may biomechanically activate a secondary trigger point in another structure and treating the primary trigger point does not treat the secondary trigger point