When joint dysfunction develops, muscles simultaneously become affected as well. Some muscles can respond by becoming tense and overactive, while others respond by becoming inhibited and underactive. In both cases, these muscles can develop trigger points.
Trigger points are areas within muscular tissue where toxins collect. These toxins irritate the local nerve endings within the muscle and produce pain. The muscle imbalance resulting from the trigger points can place increased stress on the joints, aggravating the dysfunction in the joints that already exists.
The muscle can also send abnormal neurological signals into the nervous system. This can then cause disruption of the ability of the nervous system to properly regulate muscles in other parts of the body, leading to the development of faulty movement patterns.