Healing Through Trigger Point Therapy

This book is about empowerment for chronic pain patients and care providers alike. Every chronic pain condition has a treatable myofascial trigger point component, including fibromyalgia. Many of the localized symptoms now considered as fibromyalgia are actually due to trigger points. The central sensitization of fibromyalgia amplifies symptoms that trigger points cause, and this book teaches care providers and patients how to identify and treat those causes. Chronic myofascial pain due to trigger points can be body-wide, and can cause or maintain fibromyalgia central sensitization. Trigger points can cause and/or maintain or contribute to many types of pain and dysfunction, including numbness and tingling, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, osteoarthritis, cognitive dysfunctions and disorientation, impotence, incontinence, loss of voice, pelvic pain, muscle weakness, menstrual pain, TMJ dysfunction, shortness of breath, and many symptoms attributed to old age or "atypical" or psychological sources. Trigger point therapy has been around for decades, but only recently have trigger points been imaged at the Mayo Clinic and National Institutes of Health. Their ubiquity and importance is only now being recognized. Devin Starlanyl is a medically trained chronic myofascial pain and fibromyalgia researcher and educator, as well as a patient with both of these conditions. She has provided chronic pain education and support to thousands of patients and care providers around the world for decades. John Sharkey is a physiologist with more than twenty-seven years of anatomy experience, and the director of a myofascial pain facility. Together they have written a comprehensive reference to trigger point treatment to help patients with fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, and many other conditions. This guide will be useful for all types of doctors, nurses, therapists, bodyworkers, and lay people, facilitating communication between care providers and patients and empowering patients who now struggle with all kinds of misunderstood and unexplained symptoms. Part 1 explains what trigger points are and how they generate symptoms, refer pain and other symptoms to other parts of the body, and create a downward spiral of dysfunction. The authors look at the interconnection between fibromyalgia and myofascial trigger points and their possible causes and symptoms; identify stressors that perpetuate trigger points such as poor posture, poor breathing habits, nutritional inadequacies, lack of sleep, and environmental and psychological factors; and provide a list of over one hundred pain symptoms and their most common corresponding trigger point sources. Part 2 describes the sites of trigger points and their referral patterns within each region of the body, and provides pain relief solutions for fibromyalgia and trigger point patients and others with debilitating symptoms. Pain treatment plans include both self-help remedies for the patient—stretching or postural exercises, self-massage techniques and prevention strategies—as well as diagnostic and treatment hints for care providers. Part 3 offers guidance for both patients and care providers in history taking, examination, and palpation skills, as well as treatment options. It offers a vision for the future that includes early assessment, adequate medical training, prevention of fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, changes to chronic pain management and possible solutions to the health care crisis, and a healthier version of our middle age and golden years, asserting that patients have a vital role to play in the management of their own health. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Trigger point therapy is one of the fastest-growing and most effective pain therapies in the world. Medical doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists are all beginning to use this technique to relieve patients’ formerly undiagnosable muscle and joint pain, both conditions that studies have shown to be the cause of nearly 25 percent of all doctor visits. This book addresses the problem of myofascial trigger points—tiny contraction knots that develop in a muscle when it is injured or overworked. Restricted circulation and lack of oxygen in these points cause referred pain. Massage of the trigger is the safest, most natural, and most effective form of pain therapy. Trigger points create pain throughout the body in predictable patterns characteristic to each muscle, producing discomfort ranging from mild to severe. Trigger point massage increases circulation and oxygenation in the area and often produces instant relief. The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, Third Edition, has made a huge impact among health professionals and the public alike, becoming an overnight classic in the field of pain relief. This edition includes a new chapter by the now deceased author, Clair Davies’ daughter, Amber Davies, who is passionate about continuing her father’s legacy. The new edition also includes postural assessments and muscle tests, an illustrated index of symptoms, and clinical technique drawings and descriptions to assist both practitioners and regular readers in assessing and treating trigger points. If you have ever suffered from, or have treated someone who suffers from myofascial trigger point pain, this is a must-have book.

UNLOCK THE HEALING POWERS OF THE TRIGGER POINT FOAM ROLLER WITH STEP-BY-STEP EXERCISES ANYONE CAN DO AT HOME Deceptively simple and incredibly versatile, the trigger point foam roller is a highly effective self-therapy tool. By following the step-by-step movements in this book, you can maximize its healing potential to: •Alleviate Pain •Speed Recovery •Release Tension •Break Up Knots •Rehabilitate Injuries •Increase Flexibility A complete guide to using this amazing piece of equipment for self-treatment, Trigger Point Therapy with the Foam Roller shows how to soothe, relieve and heal the tight muscles caused by everything from hours sitting at a desk to overdoing it at the gym. It also details the best methods to release painful trigger points and break up soft-tissue adhesions that contribute to chronic pain.

A clinical reference manual for the evaluation and treatment of muscle pain • Contains detailed illustrations of pain patterns and trigger-point locations • 15,000 copies sold in first hardcover edition Myofascial pain syndromes are among the fastest growing problems that physicians, osteopaths, acupuncturists, and physical, occupational, and massage therapists encounter in their patients. In Trigger Point Therapy for Myofascial Pain Donna and Steven Finando have organized vast amounts of information on treating myofascial pain into an accessible "user's manual" for healthcare practitioners. They examine a wide range of pain patterns and present evaluation and palpation techniques for reducing trigger points--and thereby alleviating pain--in the most clinically significant musculature of the body. This comprehensive yet easy-to-use reference guide to treatment of muscle pain begins with chapters on the concept of Qi and its relationship to myology, specific trigger point location and activation, and palpatory skill-building techniques. Subsequent sections provide detailed information on each muscle to teach clinicians to locate quickly and accurately individual points of pain and compensation. A visual index allows easy identification of the muscles that may be involved. Trigger Point Therapy for Myofascial Pain provides necessary and invaluable information for sufferers and any professional involved with myofascial disorders.

Stop Muscle & Joint Pain Naturally with Easy to use Trigger Point Therapy (Myofascial Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Foam Rolling, Tennis Ball Massage) Do you suffer with aches and pains? Do you have reoccurring injuries? Do you suffer with chronic pain? Have you tried every possible cure only to find that the ache is still there? Are you sick and tired of aches which move from one body part to another? Do you feel battered and beaten after your night's sleep? Well you don't have to feel like this anymore thanks to the wonders of myofascial message, whereby you can treat yourself naturally either with your hands, a massage ball or tennis ball or via a foam roller! There are a great many trigger points, which can be used quite successfully to treat a variety of conditions. In this short practical guide, we are going to focus upon the top ten essential trigger points, trigger points which can be used in everyday life by the majority of people. Some of the deeper trigger points, seen deep inside the thigh and pelvis, can be a little hard to reach but for most people, with some effort, they should be either able to treat themselves or if necessary a friend or family member should be able to treat them effectively, through manipulation of the relevant trigger points. Can we Really Treat Ourselves? Trigger points are atypically deployed by physical therapists, osteopaths, naturopaths and masseurs. So considering all of these people are highly qualified, and of course they are standing over the patient, where they can apply considerable force, is there any point in trying to treat ourselves? Well, obviously we cannot expect the same result, while working on ourselves, than that which we might receive if we go to a professional therapist. However, just because the result will be less effective, does not mean that we cannot give it a go. Also, treating oneself, in no way diminishes the role of the therapist. Rather, it makes the role of the therapist more meaningful, because a patient, who takes an active interest in their treatment and makes an effort to assist the healing process, while in the comfort of their own home, is actually making the healing effort more effective and is more likely to return to a therapist for further assistance. So if you are sick of having persistent aches and pains and want to do something proactive about ti, then read this book today!

A practical guide to at-home pain relief with trigger point therapy Whether you’re recovering from an injury, dealing with a chronic condition, or experiencing daily headaches—trigger point therapy can provide pain relief. Those hidden, tender knots in your muscles—also known as trigger points—may be small but they can cause a huge amount of pain. Trigger Point Therapy Made Simple puts healing in your hands so you can stop living in pain and get back to thriving in your life. Learn the ropes of trigger point therapy with an overview of what causes trigger points, how trigger point therapy works, and what to expect. Organized by muscle, the illustrated, step-by-step instructions will help you find relief from injuries, fibromyalgia, and other myofascial pain conditions with gentle, easy motions and massage techniques. At-home treatment should be simple and effective—and now it is. Trigger Point Therapy Made Simple includes: Beyond massage—Treat your muscles and your nervous system in 4 easy steps for maximum long-lasting pain relief. Anatomical aids—Handy anatomical illustrations let you pinpoint where your pain is and show you how to perform the gentle movements that will help you heal. Mind and body—Retrain your brain with a holistic approach to treatment, including helpful habits, breathing exercises, and stress-relief tips. Move better and recover faster with Trigger Point Therapy Made Simple.

This book presents Sauer's trigger point therapy protocols for lumbar, buttock, and ilio-sacral pain. These gentle techniques are easy to learn and administer at home and include compression, stretching, and range of motion exercises for the muscles that refer pain to the lower back and hip areas.

This comprehensive guide shows readers how to treat common health problems using a variety of pressure point therapies: acupressure, shiatsu, reflexology, acu-yoga, and trigger-point therapy. For each condition, readers can experiment to discover which of these methods work best for them. Forem offers therapies for more than 65 complaints from acne, arthritis, and weight control to eyestrain, headaches, and impotence.More than 50 clear illustrations show readers exactly what they need to do. A section of master drawings show the complete array of points and meridians -- the same ones used in acupuncture. Then each section offers simpler drawings illustrating only the specific points needed for the condition being discussed. Concise instructions on pressure techniques accompany the illustrations.