The Concise Book Of Neuromuscular Therapy

"A manual teaching the techniques of neuromuscular therapy (NMT), and how to combine it with medical exercise interventions, for the treatment of soft tissue pain and injury"--Provided by publisher.

A major development in the safe and effective treatment of myofascial trigger points and myofascial pain, this book is a concise, comprehensive, and well-illustrated reference on dry needling. John Sharkey—an international authority on myofascial trigger points, myofascial pain, myofascial trigger point dry needling, and neuromuscular therapy as well as an accredited clinical anatomist—draws on his thirty years of experience in bodywork and movement therapy to provide accurate and essential criteria for the identification and subsequent treatment of myofascial trigger points through the exclusive use of a fine, filiform needle. The ideal accompaniment to course notes and the perfect tableside reference guide, this book describes the origin, etiology, and pathophysiology of the myofascial trigger point as well as indications and contraindications for myofascial trigger point dry needling. Instructive illustrations support the text, along with standards and guidelines that ensure safe, effective, and appropriate application. Physical therapists including osteopaths, chiropractors, neuromuscular therapists, soft tissue therapists, physiotherapists, and sports massage therapists will find this guide indispensible. Because Sharkey explains why so many people have unresolved chronic pain and provides clear explanations of how pain is propagated, the book is also an invaluable source of information for patients with chronic pain and their care providers.

Neuromuscular Therapy Manual is a concise manual of neuromuscular therapy that contains the most relevant content based on the popular, highly regarded Travell & Simons Trigger Point Therapy Manual. Content is laid out in a highly structured, regionally organized, accessible, and user-friendly text designed specifically to meet the needs of massage students.

Most muscular aches and pains are caused or affected by untreated “trigger points,” localized tender spots in muscles. Understanding and treating these points can lead to rapid and lasting pain relief. Trigger point therapy is a powerful tool in the management of both acute and chronic pain, including such common problems as headaches, TMJ syndrome, and back pain. Written in a straightforward style, The Concise Book of Trigger Points is designed for the student and practitioner of massage/bodywork, physical therapy, physiotherapy, osteopathy, sports therapy, and any other health-related field. It functions both as an entry-level textbook and an authoritative reference for even the most experienced therapist. The first four chapters describe the physiology of trigger points and the general methods of treatment. The following six chapters are organized by muscle groups; each two-page spread features detailed color illustrations of each major skeletal muscle, accompanied by an explanation of each muscle’s origin, insertion, action, and function. The physiological implications of the trigger points in each muscle are discussed, along with treatment techniques. This edition contains updated text and a self-help section addressing common pain complaints, including headache, neck pain, shoulder pain, lower back pain, and TMJ syndrome.

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.

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.

Written by the Director of the world-renowned Touch Research Institutes, this book examines the practical applications of important massage therapy research findings. Each chapter of this comprehensive resource provides a clear and authoritative review of what is reliably known about the effects of touch for a variety of clinical conditions such as depression, pain management, movement problems, and functioning of the immune system. Coverage also includes the benefits of massage to specific populations such as pregnant women, neonates, infants, and adolescents. This book is suitable for massage therapists (including Shiatsu practitioners), aromatherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, physical therapists, and nurses. Provides a thorough yet concise review of recent research related to the importance of touch. Offers practical guidance to healthcare professionals whose work involves physical contact with patients.

Most muscular aches and pains are caused or affected by untreated “trigger points,” localized tender spots in muscles. Understanding and treating these points can lead to rapid and lasting pain relief. Trigger point therapy is a powerful tool in the management of both acute and chronic pain, including such common problems as headaches, TMJ syndrome, and back pain. Written in a straightforward style, The Concise Book of Trigger Points is designed for the student and practitioner of massage/bodywork, physical therapy, physiotherapy, osteopathy, sports therapy, and any other health-related field. It functions both as an entry-level textbook and an authoritative reference for even the most experienced therapist. The first four chapters describe the physiology of trigger points and the general methods of treatment. The following six chapters are organized by muscle groups; each two-page spread features detailed color illustrations of each major skeletal muscle, accompanied by an explanation of each muscle’s origin, insertion, action, and function. The physiological implications of the trigger points in each muscle are discussed, along with treatment techniques. This edition contains updated text and a self-help section addressing common pain complaints, including headache, neck pain, shoulder pain, lower back pain, and TMJ syndrome.