Using various manual  techniques, including but not limited to deep pressure, massage, dry needling, contract/relax, and many more, your therapist has a tool box for addressing a muscle in trouble.  Often trigger points are caused by imbalance of structures, muscle overuse, muscle shortening, and/or weakness and the goal of trigger point release is to restore normal length of tissues. Once trigger points are under control, patients often feel less or no pain or tension where there previously was chronic or acute pain.  Therapy is important to not just temporarily release trigger points, but to re-establish muscle/joint balance, improve muscle patterns with function, increase strength, and establish the best home exercise program to prevent reoccurrence.