Ischemic compression: how hard, how long, how often

Aim for a pressure you would describe as strong but tolerable, where you can keep your jaw and shoulders relaxed and breathe out slowly. Most people land near half of their maximum tolerance.

A useful marker is the fade: within 20 to 40 seconds the sensation usually drops. If it climbs instead, ease off — you are provoking rather than releasing.

For the terminology and interpretation used here, compare What are trigger points?; Primary vs secondary trigger points; How to read referred pain maps. These guides distinguish the definition of a trigger point, its classification and the limits of a referred-pain map.

Thirty to ninety seconds per point is the range used in most protocols, one to three points per muscle, and every other day for an irritable area or daily for a tolerant one. Two weeks is usually enough to know whether it is working.

Multiple-session designs improved pressure pain threshold progressively, which supports consistency over intensity.

Stop for the day if pain spreads beyond the usual referral zone, if you feel numbness, tingling or dizziness, or if soreness from the previous session has not settled. Stop entirely and get assessed if symptoms are worsening week on week.

Compression over the front and side of the neck, the armpit and the abdomen needs particular care because of vessels, nerves and organs — those regions are covered with specific cautions on the individual muscle pages.