Understanding Trigger Points and Muscle Pain

If you’ve ever had a stubborn knot in your neck that just won’t let go, or a deep ache in your hip or shoulder that flares up when you move a certain way, you’ve likely dealt with trigger points, one of the most common and misunderstood sources of muscle pain.

At Backcountry Physical Therapy in Colorado Springs, we see athletes and outdoor enthusiasts all the time who come in with pain they can’t quite pinpoint. They’ll say things like:

• “It’s not sharp pain, just a constant tightness”
• “I’ve stretched and foam rolled, but it keeps coming back”
• “It hurts here, but the pain shows up somewhere else, too”

That’s the hallmark of trigger point-related pain, localized areas of muscle tightness that can cause both local pain and referred pain to distant areas.

In this post, we’ll break down what trigger points are, what causes them, how they create pain, and most importantly, how to effectively treat them with physical therapy near Colorado Springs so you can get back to moving freely.

What Are Trigger Points?

A trigger point is a small, hypersensitive area within a muscle that feels like a tight knot or band. When pressed, it can cause localized tenderness or even refer pain to another area.

You can think of it like a tiny section of muscle that’s “stuck” in a contracted state. It doesn’t relax like it should, creating tension and restricting blood flow in that area.

There are two main types:

Active Trigger Points

Cause pain even at rest, and often refer pain elsewhere (for example, a trigger point in your upper trap causing pain into your neck or head).

Latent Trigger Points

Don’t cause pain unless they’re pressed or irritated, but they still contribute to stiffness, weakness, or limited motion.

How Do Trigger Points Cause Pain?

1. Trigger points create pain through both local muscle tension and referred pain patterns.
2. When part of a muscle remains contracted, it reduces circulation in that area. Less blood flow means less oxygen and fewer nutrients reaching the muscle fibers — and more buildup of metabolic waste products. That chemical irritation sensitizes the nerves, causing pain.
3. Here’s where it gets tricky: trigger points don’t always hurt where they live.
4. For example:
5. If you have a trigger point in your gluteus medius it can cause pain down the side of your leg
6. A trigger point in your infraspinatus (shoulder blade muscle) can create pain in your arm or elbow
7. A trigger point in your neck can cause headaches or jaw discomfort
8. This is called referred pain, and it’s one of the main reasons trigger points are often misdiagnosed or overlooked.

What Causes Trigger Points?

Trigger points can develop for many reasons, but they almost always stem from muscle overload or imbalance.

Here are the most common culprits we see in our athletes and active patients:

• Repetitive Movement or Overuse
  • Activities like running, cycling, or climbing involve repeating the same motion thousands of times. That repetitive load can fatigue specific muscle fibers, especially if strength or mobility is imbalanced
• Poor Posture
  • Sitting for long hours, working at a computer, or training with poor form can create constant low-level tension that leads to chronic trigger points, especially in the neck, shoulders, and low back
• Muscle Imbalance
  • If one muscle is weak and another is overworking to compensate, the overloaded muscle often develops trigger points. (For example, tight hip flexors compensating for weak glutes.)
• Acute Injury
  • Even a small strain or sprain can cause nearby muscles to tighten protectively. Those “guarding” muscles can quickly develop trigger points
• Stress and Tension
  • Emotional stress can cause muscle tightening, especially in the neck, jaw, and shoulders which are prime spots for trigger points
• Dehydration or Nutrient Deficiency
  • Muscles that aren’t properly hydrated or fueled are more prone to fatigue and dysfunction

Working toward pain relief in active individuals in Colorado Springs.

Common Areas for Trigger Points

While trigger points can form anywhere, some regions are more prone, especially for those who run, climb, bike, and lift regularly.

Lower Body

• Calves (Gastrocnemius/Soleus): common in runners and hikers; can cause heel or arch pain
• Glutes & Piriformis: often mimic sciatica with radiating pain down the leg
• Quadriceps: trigger points here can cause knee pain or stiffness

Upper Body

• Upper Trapezius & Levator Scapulae: cause neck pain and tension headaches
• Infraspinatus: can cause deep shoulder or arm pain, often mistaken for rotator cuff injury
• Pectorals: tight chest muscles can lead to anterior shoulder pain and poor posture

How Trigger Points Affect Movement

Trigger points don’t just cause pain, they also affect muscle performance and movement efficiency.

Because part of the muscle stays shortened and overactive, nearby muscles have to work harder to compensate. Over time, this can lead to:

• Decreased range of motion
• Poor muscle coordination
• Weakness or fatigue
• Altered movement patterns that increase injury risk

That’s why resolving trigger points isn’t just about pain relief; it’s about restoring proper movement with a physical therapist in Colorado Springs.

How Trigger Points Are Treated

There are many effective ways to address trigger points, depending on their severity and the surrounding movement dysfunction.

At Backcountry Physical Therapy, we often use a combination of:

• Trigger Point Dry Needling
  • One of the most effective ways to release stubborn trigger points is dry needling, a technique that uses a thin, sterile needle to target the tight band within the muscle.
  • When the needle hits the trigger point, it can cause a small “twitch” response that helps release the contracted fibers, increase blood flow, and reduce pain.
  • Athletes often notice immediate improvements in mobility and a decrease in muscle tightness.
• Manual Therapy
  • Techniques like soft tissue mobilization, myofascial release, or cupping can help improve circulation and reduce tension in affected muscles.
• Targeted Stretching & Mobility
  • Once the trigger point is released, restoring full mobility is crucial to prevent recurrence. Controlled stretching and mobility work help re-lengthen the tissue.
• Corrective Exercise
  • The real long-term fix comes from strengthening weak muscles and retraining movement patterns so the same overused tissues don’t tighten again.
  • For example:
    • Strengthening the posterior chain for runners with calf and hamstring trigger points.
    • Improving scapular control for climbers with shoulder trigger points.
    • Building core stability for those with chronic low back tightness.

Preventing Trigger Points

Once you understand what causes trigger points, you can take simple steps to prevent them.

1. Move Often
   • Avoid staying in one position (like sitting or standing still) for too long. Movement promotes circulation and tissue health
2. Warm Up Properly
   • Dynamic warm-ups before training prepare muscles for load and help prevent overuse tension
3. Strengthen Weak Areas
   • A well-balanced training program addresses both strength and stability across muscle groups, reducing compensation patterns
4. Prioritize Recovery
   • Rest, hydration, nutrition, and sleep are critical for keeping tissues healthy and preventing overactivation
5. Manage Stress
   • Chronic tension from stress can feed into muscle tightness. Breathing exercises and mindfulness can actually help your muscles relax

Why Trigger Point Care Matters for Mountain Athletes

For athletes and the active population, trigger points can be the hidden reason for persistent pain and reduced performance.

If you’ve been stretching and foam rolling without relief (or only temporary relief), you might not have a flexibility issue, you might have a trigger point issue.

Left untreated, these points can alter your movement, reduce power, and lead to overuse injuries in other areas.

At Backcountry Physical Therapy in Colorado Springs, we specialize in helping outdoor athletes identify and treat these dysfunctions early, so they can keep exploring without pain holding them back.

When to See a Physical Therapist

If you’ve been dealing with:

• Persistent muscle tightness or pain that won’t resolve
• Pain that moves or radiates from one area to another
• Recurring soreness despite rest and stretching

Then, it’s time to get assessed.

A skilled physical therapist near Colorado Springs can identify whether your pain is coming from trigger points, joint restriction, or another source, and guide you through the most effective treatment to fix it for good.

We help active people in Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, Briargate, Falcon, Rockrimmon, and surrounding areas!

📞 Call us today or 📧 book your evaluation with us to get started with your Physical Therapy in Colorado Springs (719) 285-9670