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Physiotherapy vocabulary · Manual Therapy and Hands-On Treatment

Trigger point

Meaning in physiotherapy, with examples

nounAdvanced term

In physiotherapy, trigger point means: A small, very tender spot in a tight band of muscle that can cause pain both where it is pressed and in another area.

In Turkish: tetik nokta

How it is used

Physiotherapists look for trigger points by palpation and may treat them with pressure, massage, stretching or dry needling. The idea is widely used in practice, although researchers still debate how trigger points should be defined. Patients often call them 'knots'.

Example sentences

  1. There's an active trigger point in your upper trapezius that's sending pain up into your head.

  2. I'll press on the trigger point for about thirty seconds.

Common collocations

  • active trigger point
  • trigger point release
  • trigger point pressure
  • dry needling
  • soft tissue massageHands-on treatment that rubs, presses and kneads muscles and other soft tissues to ease pain, tension and stiffness.
  • palpationExamining the body by feeling it carefully with the hands, to find tenderness, swelling, muscle tightness, temperature changes or the position of structures.
  • referred painPain felt in a different part of the body from where the problem actually is, for example hip problems felt in the knee.
  • muscle spasmA sudden, involuntary tightening of a muscle that can be painful and make movement difficult.

More terms: Manual Therapy and Hands-On Treatment

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.