In general, trigger points respond to traditional massage, but practitioners have found correlations between trigger points and acupoints used in traditional Chinese medicine (J Alt Complement Med, 2003; 9: 91-103). In trigger-point acupuncture, the practitioner palpates the muscles to find tender areas, then inserts the needle there. While this may seem like a Western corruption of a traditional practice, in fact, the Chinese also have a name for these points - ah shi, which translates to ‘that’s it’.

For low-back pain, needling these trigger points works just as well as injecting steroids, with much less post-injection soreness (Spine, 1989; 14: 962-4). Similarly, it is effective for neck and knee pain, too (Pain, 2002; 99: 83-9; Acupunct Med, 2003; 21: 32-5).

Sports medicine is not traditionally known for it’s holistic attitude towards its patients. More often than not, sports medicine has involved a ‘patch ‘em up and send ‘em back out on the field’ attitude.

Professional athletes, looking for cures that work with, not against, their bodies are leading the way in exploring gentler more effective alternative treatments.

What holistic medicine brings to the arena of sports injuries is the notion that the body is always striving towards wellness. A gentle nudge - for instance, from enzymes or trigger-point acupuncture - may be all that is needed to set it off on the road to recovery.

Pat Thomas