leg raise test to confirm the Google diagnosis. To both of our surprise, that test was negative. D’s leg flew by 30, degrees all the way to 80 without any signs of pain. Now what? D was a bit perplexed. “You can have active trigger points in your Gluteus Minimus muscle, they mimic sciatica fairly closely,” I mentioned. And sure enough palpation of the Gluteus Minimus confirmed my suspicion. D had a couple of nasty trigger points that shot pain across her buttocks and hamstring over to the upper calf. Thirty minutes later, after a combination of Active Release Technique, Lymphatic Drainage, and Cupping, D felt much better. Trigger points are frequently misdiagnosed and a misunderstood cause of both chronic and acute pain, but they can affect practically every muscle in the body. While many trigger points do refer pain around the affected muscle, there are many exceptions to the rule. For example,
trigger points in the scalenes (front neck muscles) can mimic pain and symptoms of a heart attack. Trigger points in the upper portion of the adductors (inside thigh muscles) can refer to the pelvis and appear as UTI infection discomfort. Trigger points in Soleus (intermediate calf muscle) can refer to the Achilles, calf, and sacrum. Everything is connected. R became my client 11 years ago on the fields of Treasure Island near San Francisco where games and championships of Gaelic Football and Hurling are usually held. I was providing bodywork and first aid sideline services to several Clubs of GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association). Hurling is perhaps best described as lacrosse on steroids. Both sports are very similar, however the Irish play their version without any protection gear (with an exemption of helmet) and the stick is solid ash, no net. It’s a fast and aggressive sport that looks like field hockey in the midair.
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