Can a Trigger Point Be a Cyst?
Anyone feeling a trigger point in his muscle or a cyst under his skin will wonder exactly what he is dealing with. When a lump and bump appears in your own body, knowing whether you are feeling a cyst or a trigger point will determine how you will deal with it. A trigger point will be in a specific type of tissue and will trigger pain when pressed on, which is one of the things that makes it different than a cyst.
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Cysts
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According to Princeton's Wordnet Search, a cyst is a closed sac in the body, especially one containing fluid, that has developed abnormally. Cysts can develop anywhere in the body and have different names according to where they develop. For example, a baker's cyst forms behind a knee and an ovarian cyst forms in an ovary.
One common cyst that could be confused with a trigger point is a ganglion cyst, because it is often located over a muscle and can cause pain in the muscle.
Trigger Points
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According to "The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook," a trigger point is a knot or lump within a muscle fiber that hurts when pushed. Trigger points do not contain fluid; they are composed only of muscle fiber that has contracted and stayed contracted.
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Definitions
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A trigger point can be located in a muscle that is next to a cyst, but a trigger point is not a cyst, by definition. A trigger point area can contain metabolic waste that is trapped there by the contraction of the muscle fiber, but that waste is not contained within a sac, as with a cyst.
Cyst Treatment
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A doctor will need to determine the appropriate course of action for any cyst. Some cysts are left alone, some are drained, and some are surgically removed. Treatment will depend on where the cysts is, if it is bothersome to you, if it interferes with any of your body's systems, or if it might rupture.
Trigger Point Treatment
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Trigger point treatments include injection with a local anesthetic, stretching and repeated deep stroking massage, all of which have the ultimate goal of getting the contracted muscle fibers to release. These can be done by a doctor, physical therapist, chiropractor or massage therapist. A person with the trigger point can stretch and massage it himself, if the trigger point is in a location where he can apply pressure.
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References
- Photo Credit anconeus muscle image by patrimonio designs from Fotolia.com
