trigger point

noun

: a localized usually tender or painful area of the body and especially of a muscle that when stimulated gives rise to pain elsewhere in the body

Examples of trigger point in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The device is small enough to pack in a gym bag or carry-on and includes a case, charger, two larger foam attachments for small and large muscle groups, and one thumb foam attachment for trigger points. —Jessica Comstock, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Jan. 2024

In Pfizer's trial, the trigger point was at or around 170. —Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 4 Dec. 2023

But, if the trial runners had set the trigger point somewhere else, the absolute risk reduction could easily have been different, even if everything else was the same. —Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 4 Dec. 2023

Attachments work to relieve soreness on tender areas and near bones, plus as trigger point therapy and to improve circulation. —Amanda Ogle, Southern Living, 28 Nov. 2023

Today’s products—including many of the ones on our list—feature heat, vibration, and trigger point relief to beat the toughest cases of neck pain. —Nicole Crawford, Health, 20 July 2023

There’s no particular trigger point included in the settlement, however. —Emma Penrod, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Aug. 2023

But massage guns provide precise and localized percussion therapy that’s ideal for targeting trigger points and great for quick, convenient, and cost-effective relief. —Michelle Parente, Cyt, Health, 26 June 2023

There are several theories about how dry needling works to relieve trigger points. —Brittany Ferri, Verywell Health, 17 Apr. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1891, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

trigger point

noun

: a localized usually tender or painful area of the body and especially of a muscle that when stimulated gives rise to pain elsewhere in the body

A trigger point in the calf muscle can also cause discomfort or weakness in the heel or arch; a trigger point in the thigh may cause pain around the knee.

—Runner's World

called also trigger area, trigger zone