Day 32 - Trigger a Memory

One of the things I have learned about trigger points is that they aren't always "active" - as in causing pain right now, but once they are touched, they are painful. For instance, if a little league pitcher goes on to play baseball in high school and then college, but doesn't play after college, he may have a trigger point that was active at one time because of the baseball he played. However, once he stops playing, he doesn't have that pain anymore. Many years later, if somebody touches the spot that used to be painful, it will hurt again. Hence the name "latent" trigger point. It's like it has a memory.
We had more of a "normal" class today, with our 37 or so people in it, not the combined classes we have been having while teachers are being shuffled. I, for one, was glad to be back to "normal" in this particular class of trigger points because honestly, I haven't been getting it as well as I'd like.
I found a trigger point on my partner tonight, which was just like they described - when I was compressing on her subscapula from the side, she jumped and said the pain shot down her leg. For those of you who don't know, let me explain where subscapula is. "Sub" means under. "Scapula" is the shoulder blade. So, I was basically digging under her shoulder blade from the side.
With the teacher's instruction, I did what I needed to do to work out the trigger point and she said she didn't feel it anymore. Yay me!
So, next time you go get a massage, tell them that you would like them to do some subscapula work and see what your therapist says.