Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief(A New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook)

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.

About the Author :
Now deceased, Davies specialized in trigger point massage for the treatment of pain. Mr. Davies's interest in massage began when he successfully self-treated a frozen shoulder with trigger point massage. Inspired by the experience, he began an intensive private study of trigger points and referred pain. He subsequently retired from a thriving piano service business to become a professional massage therapist.

Review :
"The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook is a welcome and timely addition to the worlds of personal wellness, pain relief, and self-care. The author creates a highly effective form of pain therapy that anyone can learn. This book is a valuable contribution to the field of self-applied therapeutic bodywork." --Robert K. King, founder and president of the Chicago School of Massage Therapy "As a chiropractor for twelve years and an instructor of trigger point therapy at the Utah College of Massage Therapy for ten years, I found the Davies' book very accurate and complete. The graphics and illustrations make it easy to show patients and clients ways to improve quality of life. I believe the book will be a valuable asset to all health care practitioners who use trigger point therapy." --David B. Thomson, DC, instructor at the Utah College of Massage Therapy "As a medical doctor who has been challenged by patients experiencing chronic pain, including those suffering from long-standing cases of fibromyalgia, I appreciate a safe solution for their problem. I believe this book, revealing that trigger point therapy may safely relieve chronic pain, should be in the hands of every doctor." --Terry Shepherd Friedmann, MD, author of Freedom Through Health "I have personally benefited from the therapeutic effects of trigger point massage and I believe it deserves official recognition in the medical world. I hope physicians will study these self-treatment techniques and recommend them to their patients." --Rose Marie Hackett, DO, osteopathic physician and radiologist "Properly used, the information in the Davies's book should enable many people with myofascial trigger point disorders to participate effectively in treating their conditions. The book should be especially useful to those who do not have ready access to a practitioner familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of these common muscular problems." --Michael D. Reynolds, MD, rheumatologist "This is ... a well-organized, easy-to-use handbook that will indeed help sufferers of myofascial pain learn to treat themselves with effective self-massage techniques. The detail and clarity of the book's format will also make it invaluable to pain physicians who want to be able to teach their patients useful, simple strategies to manage soft tissue pain problems." --Joseph F. Audette, MD, instructor at Harvard Medical School and director of Outpatient Pain Services at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Medford, MA "This is a useful book for anyone in chronic pain. There are few resources like this one, which empowers the reader to understand the problem and offers the tools to manage it. The approach to managing pain described in this book will help many take control of a significant part of their health and will become a valuable lifelong reference." --Scott M. Fishman, MD, chief of the Division of Pain Medicine in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of California, Davis and author of The War on Pain "This must-have book gives practical methods for dealing with chronic pain in a format that is easy to use, and it works! I'm a believer!" --Jo Ann Gillaspy, MS, RN, editor of The Nephrology Resource Directory "Trigger point massage therapy may be the most effective treatment known for a wide variety of pain problems, including fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome." --C. Norman Shealy, MD, PhD, founding president of the American Holistic Medical Association and author of The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Healing Remedies "I have long been a believer in and practitioner of trigger point therapy. I certainly recommend this book to the general public and health care practitioners. It is truly an excellent resource and provides the tools that induce self-healing and empowerment." --Bernie S. Siegel, MD, author of Love, Medicine, and Miracles and Prescriptions for Living and former student of Janet Travell, MD, author of Travell & Simons' Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual