Muscle tension can become a very serious problem if not alleviated by any form of bodywork; massage, yoga, acupuncture, chiropractic, or more. If our bodies hold onto tension too long it could become a more permanent issue in the form of trigger points and entrapped nerves. This can affect other parts of our body. Trigger points are ares of muscle fiber (often small, but dangerously potent) that have become overly toxified due to an excess of tension, and not enough oxygen. These fibers begin a slow process of necrosis (cellular death) and the result is pain…in that area and in others. This is called referred pain and can be misleading and disorienting. The good news, it is not permanent. With deep tissue work and a regimen to decrease overall tension with massage and stretching, along with anti-stress/anxiety practice such as meditation or qi qong these problems can no longer be problems.