Theracane, lacrosse ball, and a guide to trigger points.

“Trigger points are small, localized muscle cramps with a variety of causes, most notably excessive loads, direct trauma, or repetitive or prolonged muscle contractions. The cramp does not normally affect the whole muscle but is usually confined to one or two small muscle fibers within the main body of the muscle. You can actually feel the cramp as a hard lump or knot in your muscle. Sometimes, especially in small muscles, the whole muscle will feel like a cable made from hard rubber.

Trigger points are not related to acupuncture points, energy points, or other esoteric concepts. Trigger points can be seen in the microscope. They can be felt as hard knots in your muscles. And oh yes, they hurt when pressed.”

--Christian Lemburg, CrossFit Journal article "Trigger Point Massage"