Free Downloads The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide For Pain Relief
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.
Paperback: 376 pages
Publisher: New Harbinger Publications; 3 edition (September 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1608824942
ISBN-13: 978-1608824946
Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 8.5 x 10.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (566 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,673 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Alternative Medicine > Acupuncture & Acupressure #1 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Diseases & Physical Ailments > Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia #1 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Alternative Medicine > Massage
I was ALWAYS a very fit woman even in my 40's. Nothing extreme, just always moving & energetic, great diet, etc. Until I turned 41 - my back started giving me trouble. Fast forward to me going to PT to get my back in better shape in Fall 2012. Then late Dec 2012 - PT is great until one rushed day when she stretched my right leg too far too fast. Didn't feel like anything until 2 hrs later, OMG, the pain in the sole of my right foot & low back! I couldn't walk without a limp. I had never had foot pain before, ever. I couldn't sit on anything soft because of the pain it would cause my low back.It got worse. I had an MRI (slight disc bulge, but nothing that would cause such pain). I tried everything over the next few months - acupuncture, chiropractor, spine drs, orthopedist, physiatrist, neurologist, steroid shot, supplements, stretching, walking through the pain, ice, heat, epsom salt baths 3+ times a day, etc etc. My life became a nightmare of pain - unable to ambulate properly, I had to crawl around my house. I could barely drive. I was given a temp handicap parking placard and told to get a cane. I used to run, bike 40 miles a week, garden, now I was reduced to a cane and suggestions of back surgery in less than a couple of months of being in great shape and NO pain?? My sole of my foot and my back was on fire; other parts of me was starting to deteriorate as a result.I am a big reviewer on here because I believe in the power of the truth and word of mouth to help others. I also depend on it as well to help me. So I was going through a review of what, I do not remember, maybe a supplement that might alleviate pain, and it mentions looking into trigger point therapy. I am so glad I followed the trail to this book.By the time I got to this book, it was November 2013. Not quite a year into my hell. My family was suffering, watching me suffer. I would lay around and try not to wince or cry out when I had to get up, knowing my kids were watching. I shuffled around. I missed so many of my kid's activities.Anyway, I got the Kindle version, and I look in this book as fast as I can for how to manage pain for the sole of my foot. Imagine my surprise - THAT pain originates in my CALF? So I look for the tender spot it tells me to and OUCH! THERE IT IS! Painful, in the meat of my calf. I start to gently work on it. It was painful and would get sore with massage, but I worked through it. This was the Saturday before Thanksgiving.Monday before Thanksgiving - TONS to do. Cleaning for family, shopping, etc. I tell my husband I am going out to get groceries at a couple of different stores, he looks worried. How can you handle it, he asks. He knows I usually can only do about a half hour out then come home and rest. I insist, tired of being so disabled. I go to one, two, three stores. I am out for over 2 hrs. And...THERE IS NO PAIN IN MY FOOT. NONE. I am stunned. No pain from driving, which usually exacerbates it. No limping. Normal gait for the most part, though not perfect due to almost a year of altered gait/limp. UNBELIEVABLE! I come home and my husband comes out to help me, worried that I am going to be in a bad place pain wise. Neither of us can believe how well I was doing considering where I was only a few days before.Now, I have to get to work on all the other trigger points that have cropped up due to my altered walk, excessive crawling, and poor sleep posture to work around pain, as well as my low back issues.It took some time. It took work. I ordered the actual book so I can highlight and dog ear pages. For low back pain, your glutes carry some heavy duty trigger points. If you sit a lot, you probably have trigger points.My foot pain is 100% gone, but after a bike ride I can feel it creep back in. I just pull out my lacrosse ball & roll it out, done. The book warns this can happen, so knowing what to expect and then managing it is most of the battle. Low back pain has cleared up around 80 - 90%. TPs have a tendency to return esp in a cold environment (I'm in Boston) and esp if they've been there a while. So it can be a bit of work but very worth it.I have lost a lot of muscle so there is a weakness there, I am working on regaining all the strength I lost.What I cannot understand is why all the specialists I saw in Boston - the land of great doctors! - NONE of them thought of this? Even the PHYSIATRIST? Isn't this supposed to be their specialty, muscle and soft tissue pain mgt & recovery? I told my neuro about TrP and she said "it makes sense".It's is some work to keep up with all the trigger points that crop up but I do it while watching TV or listening to music.If you have soft tissue pain that nothing else seems to help, you have NOTHING to lose here. You can also Google your pain symptom and 'trigger point therapy' and find some solutions. There are also great YouTube videos on it.BTW, if you stretch a tired or cold muscle too fast/too hard it can set off a trigger point. That's what happened with my PT that day. If I had known about trigger point therapy, I could have saved myself from a year of hell on me and my family, as well as the bills.I recommend a cleaner diet, exercise, fresh air and constant movement versus just sitting. Excessive sitting and lying around make soft tissue pain worse. Stand for half of your tv show. Micro breaks from your laptop. Move around more, get blood flowing, blood flow to an injured area is healing. I love Tiger Balm for night time stiffness or to help get your circulation going on a painful spot.There are also some good videos and a Ted Talk on the science of pain in the brain that are worth watching. If you have been in pain for a long time, your brain actually can become hypersensitive to even tiny pain stimulus. An exaggerated response. It is important to retrain the brain not to overreact to small incidents. I took a nasty fall on my bike last week and was totally panicked, as I have not fully recovered from this past year's trauma. I was hurting that day pretty bad but it didn't turn into anything more than sore arms & shoulders for a couple of days. I had to keep telling myself not every boo boo turns into a year's worth of pain. It helps!Please get in touch if you have more questions or input.*UPDATE June 1, 2014*I keep learning from this book. One thing I think has helped keep pain/discomfort at bay is the use of a SMALL KID BALL in addition to the lacrosse ball. I got into the habit of using the lacrosse ball and it works well, but I started to get more pain in the hips & tightness in lower back. Over the last 2 weeks I started using the small ball and it really got into the tight, deep muscle tissue that needed attention, that even the lacrosse ball couldn't reach. I am finding new relief now, just in time for summer activities. The knowledge I have gained from this book has absolutely made a difference in my back pain. Give it a try, it may well be the most affordable & most effective solution you come across.*Update* Sept 6, 2014I am still finding great relief with TrP therapy. Not only through this book but online. YouTube has many instructional videos on how to work out TrP if the book is too technical or if you need a visual. I am finding that I need to work on the QL TrPs. I found a great set of TrP balls in all the sizes I was missing,from tiny to lacrosse ball size, I just received them and they work very well.[...]They are only $20 for the set plus about $6 to ship. I have no connection to this company, FYI. They should have an listing but they don't I wonder why?I would also like to remind anyone starting out the process of working on their TrPs NOT to go overboard. It is very easy to do. You start out, it feels SO good to work out the knots, you are feeling better and better. Then you assume that MORE is BETTER. Maybe you start rolling the TrPs too hard or too much each day or too much in one session. This is where you might set off excess soreness. You have to be careful with the QL muscles (most of us have TrPs there but don't know it until you get in there with a small TrP ball) or you might cause back spasms. I had a chiropractor overwork my QL's and set off a horrific week of spasms before I discovered TrP therapy. So go slow and careful, it will pay off.*UPDATE* Feb 11, 2015I am still finding great relief with TrP therapy. I joined a gym for the 1st time in a decade to get me through this hard Boston winter and was surprised how many people at the gym were ending their workouts with trigger point therapy methods - rolling out on balls or foam rollers, trainers using them on clients, etc. It has caught on as a medicine free, effective way to manage your muscle aches.I have also found that I need a truly functional space to do my TrP sessions. I have put holes in several walls in my house, so now only the basement cement wall will do. Fortunately, I have the perfect space. A cement wall a few feet from a pool table. I can put a small TrP ball against the wall in my glute area, grab hold of the pool table for leverage, then manipulate the ball into some of the hardest to reach spots by bending over slightly and pushing myself into the ball. (Does this sound perverted? Sorry, this is how it has to be done to find relief! I wouldn't want a massage therapist to try and dig around there to work them.)I have found great pain release from working these hard to reach glute points. For back pain that is not getting better despite best efforts, the glute and hip flexor points are key. Keeping up with my TrPs a few times a week really helps.Women in perimenopause should note that because of our changing hormone levels, your body is PRONE to trigger points as well as random aches & pains that cannot be found on any tests other than a series of hormone test through out your cycle. For some women in major hormone flux it can be severe enough for you to be diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia. Yes there are some true cases of those diseases that are not related to hormones or trigger points, but there are also women being misdiagnosed & sent home with RX's for anti-depressants & way too strong pain meds. Do your research. A balanced - KEY WORD IS BALANCED - hormone therapy (like bio hormone replacements) as well as exercise, diet, TrP, and improved digestion (which diminished greatly around 40-45 in women) will make a difference in your pain levels.I am working with a gifted endocrinologist who tests my blood 2x a month so we can get the best picture how to manage my perimenopause. I do not have CFS or fibromyalgia, but I do notice that trigger points crop up more often now that my blood tests reveal I am primenopausal.*UPDATE* September 29, 2015Still loving TrP therapy. I travel with 2 sizes of balls when I fly so that I can roll out those knots that can happen after being cramped on a plane. Still find that most of my knots originate in my glutes. I no longer have any foot pain.I try and tell others about it without sounding too "gushy" and most people just "mm-hmm" me and then forget about it. I don't want to sound like trigger point therapy is the unicorn that will take away everyone's aches and pains, but too many are missing out on medication-free pain relief because doctors or physical therapists aren't offering it as an option.*UPDATE* August 31, 2016I am still actively and successfully using TrP therapy to manage my low back, as well as misc aches and pains that crop up. Now that I'm 46, parts of me gets achy when I overwork it or sleep in an odd position. About 3 times a week I spend a half hour or more with my super bounce rubber ball and a concrete wall. The relief! I think some wonder why I haven't been "cured" of low back pain if I am so enthusiastic about TrP. I ruptured my L4-L5 disc in my late 20's, which puts my low back at a higher risk for aches and pain when I sit too long on something soft, or work too hard in the garden. Before I found this therapy, I used to get so tight, manage my aches with Advil, and wait for it to pass, usually a few days. Now that I am middle aged, my body doesn't bounce back quite like that anymore. I still travel with the rubber ball. There are times when I can throw my back out and it gets inflamed - trigger point therapy does not help that. Then I reach for Advil. Otherwise, this is still my favorite go to muscle and joint soother.
I never, ever write to an author or make a review, but in this case, I can't help myself. I have to thank this book so much for giving me the chance to heal. I'm from Argentina so excuse me if I make some mistakes in writing this English since it is not my native language.Today I was recommending the Trigger Point Therapy to some friends over facebook, so looking for the link, I found the website, and suddenly I remembered. To this day, I have been pain-free for more than 3 years. It's easy to forget the time passed without pain, but the same time in pain is like a nightmare, right?Years back I was diagnosed with a small, tiny displacement of a vertebra on my neck. It was caused by a roller coaster ride, and it began slowly becoming more and more painful, up to a point were the stiffness and pain would make me stay in bed for days. My doctor only gave me painkillers, saying that an operation wasn't the ideal route, only massage from experts. But those would leave me sore and worse. The pain was exhausting, but I learned how to live with it, I started doing some more exercise, and the pain subsided a little.Later, one day, my jaw was just stuck. I couldn't open my mouth, it was terrifying. Slowly I gained back movement but then a new pain started to rise. My jaw would get very stiff and sometimes stuck again. Again the doctors recommended a very expensive treatment which I couldn't afford. I was devastated, and I started doing some research. I found a book about TMJ self treatments, and had an offer for the Trigger Point Therapy along with this one. So, I bought both, but this amazing book was actually my second choice. I really didn't know at that time how important the Trigger Point Therapy would become for me.After reading the first book I started on the second. And thanks to the AMAZING illustrations (I'm a graphic designer, so I can testify on their perfection) I decided to begin searching for the trigger point. I found it. It was the most excruciating pain I felt on my life, when I touched it. Oh my God, I can still remember that pain. It was the size of a pea, and it was EXACTLY were the book said it should be. I was so amazed, I couldn't believe it, I started telling every one I knew about it. After a few months of treatment, my jaw was like new. My neck was feeling like before the roller coaster ride, I felt perfectly healthy and good. I never experienced the pain in my jaw or neck again.Every time myself or a family member experience this type of pain, I take my book out and teach them how to treat it. It has become like a bible around my house. And to this day, I'm amazed and thankful of the day it came to my door. Today I also found out that the book has been translated into Spanish!. I think it isn't available in Argentina yet, but I hope it will be soon. I can't stop recommending it. It really, really, changed my life and I'm in gratitude for the rest of my life to this amazing team of doctors for their research and pure wisdom poured in this Handbook.
I have been a fan of this book for years. Being a Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist, I appreciate anything that helps share this effective treatment with the general public. So many of my patients have used this book to help them get relief from their pain. It helps them understand what myofascial pain is and how to find and treat their trigger points. The resource section helps them to find professional therapists when they need more than self treatment can provide.The new edition has a number of additions and improvements that makes this book better than ever. It is now easier to find all of the muscles that may harbor trigger points that refer pain to where you hurt. Updated information that reflects exciting research about myofascial trigger points is included. Revised information about the importance of stretching is a welcome addition.Davies has provided a wealth of information for anyone suffering with musculoskeletal pain. I am certain that this new edition will be well received and become even more popular than the previous two editions.
I have had second edition ot this book since 2005 - and it is one of the most important book I owe. As physical therapist - it really has changed my daily living - this is should be must to every therapist.I purchased 3rd edition (Kindle) the day it came out. And this is huge improvement to second edition. Much of the text is rewritten and useful updating the information how to get rid of the pain. Thank's to Amber for great job!
The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual; Vol. 2., The Lower Extremities Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual, Vol. 1 - Upper Half of Body Travell & Simons' Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual (2-Volume Set) Pain Relief: Manage and Eliminate Pain, Accelerate Recovery, and Feel Better Trigger Points of Pain: Wall Charts (Set of 2) Travell and Simons' Trigger Point Flip Charts ITI Treatment Guide, Volume 3: Implant Placement in Post-Extraction Sites: Treatment Options (ITI Treatment Guides) Master Self-Discipline: Simple and Effective Steps to Develop Self Discipline, Get Organized, and Make Things Happen! (Willpower, Stress Management, Self ... (Self Improvement And Motivational Book 1) ITI Treatment Guide, Volume 1: Implant Therapy in the Esthetic Zone for Single-tooth Replacements (ITI Treatment Guides) Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief: Guided Practices for Reclaiming Your Body and Your Life The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook: Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation & ... Tolerance (New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook) Basic Clinical Massage Therapy: Integrating Anatomy and Treatment Second Edition (LWW Massage Therapy and Bodywork Educational Series) Master Mandalas: A Mandala Coloring Book: A Unique Mindfulness Workbook & Zen Adult Coloring Book For Men Women Teens Children & Seniors Featuring ... Relaxation Stress Relief & Art Color Therapy) You Are Not Your Pain: Using Mindfulness to Relieve Pain, Reduce Stress, and Restore Well-Being---An Eight-Week Program Stopping the Pain: A Workbook for Teens Who Cut and Self Injure Wall & Melzack's Textbook of Pain: Expert Consult - Online and Print, 6e (Wall and Melzack's Textbook of Pain) Bonica's Management of Pain (Fishman, Bonica's Pain Management) The Pain Relief Breakthrough: The Power of Magnets to Relieve Backaches, Arthritis, Menstrual Cramps, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Sports Injuries, and More Hypnosis In The Relief Of Pain
