Trigger Points

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.

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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.

This book examines a special topic, JMMT. Emphasis is on the etiology of trigger points with a critical overview of current concepts. The contributing authors are the most respected myofascial pain research and practice experts. The authors address the etiology of trigger points, the epidemiology of myofascial pain, clinical management of patients, specific treatment issues, and the role of trigger points in various pain syndromes.

New science confirms that trigger-point massage is one of the most effective ways to relieve pain. Trigger Points gives you 40 simple, step-by-step exercises you can safely use at home to target pain - from long-term, debilitating backache or repetitive strain injury to migraines or acute, post-injury pain. Author and leading therapist Amanda Oswald specialises in working with chronic pain conditions. In this book, she explains how trigger points - small, tender knots of connective tissue - can cause symptoms, either around the trigger point itself or referred to elsewhere in the body. Pressure and massage can release these knots and bring immediate, long-lasting relief. Identify your pain patterns, locate the trigger points responsible using detailed body maps, then treat the trigger points accurately and safely. Each exercise shows you how to position your body, different ways to apply pressure, how long to sustain it, and how often to repeat the process. With Trigger Points, you can take control of chronic or recurring pain yourself to achieve life-changing results.

Your quick and easy guide to the common trigger point locations and pain patterns of 100 muscles. Trigger points are hyperirritable spots in skeletal muscle. These sensitive points of tissue are often associated with palpable nodules in taut muscle fibers and, when compressed, elicit referred pain, local tenderness or a twitch response. This full-color guide helps you quickly find and treat trigger points in your clients by identifying: Common location of a trigger point in a particular muscle belly Possible causes of trigger points Symptoms and Indications Pain Patterns Associated Trigger Points Differential Diagnoses This concise reference supports manual therapists familiar with Trigger Point therapy, quickly putting trigger points at their fingertips. For those wishing to learn the fundamentals of Trigger Point therapy or study the subject in greater depth, a list of recommended texts is provided. Students and practitioners will value the quality illustrations and easy access to this practical information. 115 pages, 210 images.

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 exciting new publication is the first authoritative resource on the market with an exclusive focus on Trigger Point ((TrP) dry needling. It provides a detailed and up-to-date scientific perspective against which TrP dry needling can be best understood. The first section of the book covers important topics such as the current understanding and neurophysiology of the TrP phenomena, safety and hygiene, the effect of needling on fascia and connective tissue, and an account on professional issues surrounding TrP dry needling. The second section includes a detailed and well-illustrated review of deep dry needling techniques of the most common muscles throughout the body. The third section of the book describes several other needling approaches, such as superficial dry needling, dry needling from a Western Acupuncture perspective, intramuscular stimulation, and Fu's subcutaneous needling. Trigger Point Dry Needling brings together authors who are internationally recognized specialists in the field of myofascial pain and dry needling. First book of its kind to include different needling approaches (in the context of evidence) for the management of neuromuscular pain conditions Highlights both current scientific evidence and clinicians' expertise and experience Multi-contributed by a team of top international experts Over 200 illustrations supporting the detailed description of needling techniques