OMBR ERA

Trigger point massage often provides only partial and temporary relief. Here are some of the easiest things you can do to improve your batting average:
Get some sleep soon after treatment.
Treat only a few knots at a time. Work only with the worst spots at first.
Better balls! Almost everyone has a tennis ball, but other sizes and degrees of hardness can be game-changers (e.g. lacrosse ball).
Beware of excessive pressure—it’s by far the worst amateur mistake. Either just be more cautious, or entirely switch to extremely gentle treatment for a few days.
Stay warm! Chills are the top TrP aggravator.
Lightly exercise treated muscles—just enough to increase circulation.
Recruit amateur help. Sometimes being able to relax while someone else does the massaging makes all the difference.

Kneading Is a Massage Technique That Benefits Circulation
Kneading can be used on both deep and superficial tissue. This technique helps clients with pain, tightness and lack of flexibility. Many clients will also see that their stress is reduced by kneading. When you assess clients using knowledge from massage therapy training, you may notice some of these issues and decide to use kneading to help remedy them. Stimulating the muscles through this technique improves circulation, as blood flow is encouraged when pressure is applied.

Myofascial Release Explained for Students in Massage Therapy Training
The fascia is a sheet of thin connective tissue beneath the skin that wraps around muscles, organs and other tissue throughout the body. Fascia is important for mobility and reduction of pain, and it helps maintain a balance between flexibility and stability for optimal function and movement. Stretching the fascia and releasing tension from it can help clients who suffer from poor posture, pain, limited range of motion and stress.

Learn About Trigger Point Therapy in Your Massage Therapy Program
With trigger point therapy, massage therapists apply pressure to areas that are locally contracted and pulling on other tissues. Trigger points can cause pain elsewhere in the body and are usually quite tender areas. Being properly trained in this technique is essential and methods to release tension range from using different parts of the hands, thumbs and sometimes elbows or feet with certain types of massage. Often, trigger points will cross over with acupuncture points. When clients complain of “knots” in their muscles, these are often trigger points.