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The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief, Second Edition
 
 
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The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief, Second Edition [Paperback]

Clair Davies (Author), Amber Davies (Author), David G. Simons (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (368 customer reviews)

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Book Description

August 1, 2004
Trigger point therapy is one of the most intriguing and fastest-growing bodywork styles in the world. Medical doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists are all beginning to use this technique to relieve formerly undiagnosable muscle and joint pain—conditions that studies have shown to be the cause of nearly 25 percent of all doctor visits. The technique involves applying short, repeated massage strokes to trigger points, tiny contraction knots in muscle tissue where restricted circulation and lack of oxygen cause referred pain. 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.

This dynamic technique has made a huge impact among health professionals and the public alike, becoming an overnight classic in the field of pain relief. The book has sold over 220,000 copies since the release of the first edition in 2001. The second edition is a complete update and includes a new chapter specifically for massage professionals, as well as a chapter on systematic muscle relaxation techniques that can reinforce the therapeutic power of trigger point work.

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The first edition of this workbook is regarded as a classic in its field, and was the first book to introduce trigger point therapy to the general public as a self-care tool for alleviating chronic pain caused by a variety of conditions, including arthritis, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, headache, muscle ache, and repetitive strain injuries. As the author makes clear, all such conditions are related to lack of oxygen in exhausted or injured muscle tissue. Trigger point therapy has been used for decades by doctors, pain specialists, and massage therapists to quickly stimulate the flow of oxygen and promote rapid pain reduction. This book makes the same techniques available to the general public with instructions that are easy to follow, and abetted by an extensive collection of charts and corresponding illustrations.

The author’s interest in trigger point therapy began when he used it to successfully treat his frozen shoulder. Since that time, he has dedicated himself to teaching others the same techniques. That dedication is obvious throughout his writing and the care he takes to make the therapy understandable to the lay public. Also included in this new edition is updated information that should be of great interest to pain specialists and bodyworkers, as well as useful instruction in a variety of relaxation techniques. Overall, this book is an excellent self-care resource for anyone interested in pain relief.--Larry Trivieri Jr.

Review

There has been a great need for a comprehensive and easy-to-use resource to help patients identify individual myofascial trigger points and treat themselves. Clair Davies’s Trigger Point Therapy Workbook fills that need. I believe this book will help end a great deal of needless suffering and prevent a great deal of unnecessary surgery.
—Devin Starlanyl,author of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain and The Fibromyalgia Advocate

This is a splendid self-help book for people with persistent musculoskeletal pain. It tells you how to identify the problem and carefully guides you through the process of self-treatment. The principles of treating myofascial pain and myofascial trigger points developed by Drs. Janet Travell and David Simons form the basis of this book, and are well presented for use by individuals with pain.
—Robert D. Gerwin, MD, neurologist and author of Myofascial Pain: An Integrated Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment (video series)

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 andPrescriptions for Living and former student of Janet Travell, MD, author of Travell and Simons’ Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual

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


Product Details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: New Harbinger Publications; Second Edition edition (August 1, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1572243759
  • ISBN-13: 978-1572243750
  • Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (368 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Clair Davies, NCTMB (Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork), is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association, and a graduate of the Utah College of massage Therapy. He specializes in trigger point massage for the treatment of pain.


 

Customer Reviews

368 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (368 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

248 of 252 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars SAVED MY LIFE, November 15, 2005
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This review is from: The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief, Second Edition (Paperback)
After a full year of severe dysfunction of my right hand, arm, and particularly my right thumb THE TRIGGER POINT THERAPY WORKBOOK revealed to me the astonishing fact that most of my trouble was being caused by 'trigger points' in the scalene muscles of my neck and also in the area above my clavicle. What could I do about it? Simply massage them away - within half an hour of hitting the correct locations my right thumb (and hand and arm) seemed to heal by about 60%! The rest of the healing took maybe 3 more weeks of finding these things and methodically deactivating them.

Other muscles besides the scalene were involved and Clair Davies had them all referenced in the back of the book under "thumb". This is the case for any body part you may need help with, it is all very accessible and easy to find. Needless to say, this book was a miracle in my life - providing a simple solution to a debilitating problem that seemingly did not HAVE any solution (no doctor, acupuncturist, or even most up-to-date-book on repetitive strain injuries seemed to hit upon this stunning information). I went from abject misery to basically playing this strange video game of hunting out and zapping away all these trigger points hidden in my muscles.

I found this book fairly late in the healing process, and so it's important to note that another book, IT'S NOT CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME! helped me immensely with all of the problems I had that did NOT include trigger points - I would even say that my left side (arm, hand) had healed already by studying what I found in that book alone. But the trigger points were the missing piece.

I want to thank the reviewer who suggested getting the book spiral-bound at kinko's so it will lie flat and xeroxing the cover so you can pass it out to everyone you know without lending it (I gave my first copy away but discovered I need the book on an ongoing basis).

I discovered that the book actually has its own website, which you can find by searching 'trigger points' on google. I suggest reading ALL about the book there yourself, and if you think it might help you ordering from amazon because it is cheaper. Even once you have the book, the website makes the info. very accessible.

At a certain point, I started to dot the hard-to-find trigger points on my skin with a marker. It may look bizarre but they can be hard to keep track of and you want to get all of them.

DON'T OVERLOOK THE SECTION ON PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION, even if massaging trigger points seems to be enough to cure you.

The scalene trigger points can be HARD to find. At first I found them easily, but months later my symptoms came back and after 2 weeks of despair I found a terrible trigger point that was almost completely hidden in the scalene, I could only reach it after hitting the muscle at a particular angle.

Underline as you go along! Here and there he mentions areas of referred pain that are NOT depicted in the illustration.

Very relevant pages I xeroxed and taped to the wall.

Again, SOME aspects of Repetitive Strain Injury are not brought about by trigger points, so everyone w/computer related injuries needs to look at IT'S NOT CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME! by Suparna Damany and Jack Bellis and also the books by Emil Pascarelli. If you have REAL nerve damage, trigger point therapy may ease some of your discomfort but it won't resolve the problem.

Those with back problems might want to look into John Sarno's MINDBODY PRESCRIPTION. Maybe even those w/out back problems - however this recommendation is based on other people's experiences not my own.

Other books I used: Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (by Sharon Butler & also her online book about DeQuervain's of the thumb), Your Body's Many Cries for Water, Tendon & Ligament Healing, Free Your Breath Free Your Life...and the PBS program Priscilla's Yoga Stretches (not a book, it is apparently shown in many parts of the US). Some of these I got from the library, but being that my HANDS were at stake I would have just put them all on a credit card if I had had no other choice. I also recommend spending time between the shelves of Barnes & Noble.

If you happen to live in Los Angeles, Janet Travell & David Simon's medical volumes, upon which Clair Davies' work is based, are available at the Central Library (one reference set, and one that you can actually check out). Don't know about other major cities - but they're beautiful, exquisite books and amazingly clear.

Finally, I am just now looking into Bonnie Prudden's books particularly 'MYOTHERAPY' from 1984- and I am surprised because while they are missing key components of The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook they offer insights about trigger points that I have not found in other places. She quotes Janet Travell often, and there is great spirit in her book.

There is no way to express my gratitude to Clair Davies, et al, for making this info. available to the world. I am literally better off knowing about trigger points than I would be had I won a million dollars.

It's a crime that this info has been around for over a quarter of a century & the medical world has not yet grabbed a hold of it.

Good luck everyone!

January 8th, 2006 update: After all that I now have something more to add: I did actually have more trouble getting over a recent relapse than I would have expected, and I have been greatly helped by a massage therapist who is actually very familiar with trigger point therapy. In addition to trigger points, he has been helping me with other forms of massage therapy & guidance on how to rehabilitate my muscles without overdoing it. After being so injured for a long time it is great to have professional guidance in conjunction with self-applied trigger point therapy. He knew about this book & appreciated how well-informed I was - unlike certain doctors I have spoken with who seemed to take offense at my attempt to do my own research! In summary: use this book and if necessary, try to find a great massage therapist as well.

one more thing: the book is almost entirely viewable in google books! also, it has its own website triggerpointbook dot com.
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69 of 69 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Clair Davies et al. should be canonized, October 5, 2004
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This review is from: The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief, Second Edition (Paperback)
If you suffer from mysterious and FRUSTRATING chronic musculoskeletal pain and are at your wit's end (like I was), ORDER THIS BOOK NOW. This book SAVED ME by helping put an end to about 4 months of "unexplained" pain in my thighs, knees, buttocks and hips. I had spent hundreds of $$ getting x-rays, MRI's, bone scans, and seeing numerous physicians as well as a physical therapist, chiropractor, and a naturopath. None had a clear expanation of what was causing me so much pain for such a long time. I was prescribed massive doses of ibuprofen (which did nothing but ruin my stomach) as well as Valium, Flexeril, Elavil, and finally Prozac. I tried various supplements including potassium, magnesium and B vitamins, but they didn't seem to do anything. I was completely unable to exercise as it made the pain much worse..at times I was unable to walk a couple blocks. I finally got this book last week and realized that little "knots" in my muscles were the source of all this grief. No wonder nothing else (physical therapy, diet, medication) worked! With the book I figured out that I had at about ~10 trigger points in my buttocks/thighs, some which were EXTREMELY painful to massage. Since it was so painful i was a bit skeptical at first but I stuck with it. I began to massage with a tennis ball several times a day. Some trigger points responded immedately after a massage and others took several days, but after a while the aching pains in my legs have subsided! I couldn't believe that something so SIMPLE (something I could do myself) could end such a debilitating problem that numerous doctors & specialists couldn't figure out. Combined with acupuncture and craniosacral therapy & occasional professional deep-tissue massage I would say my pain is 99% gone. I am so glad I discovered this book...I never thought I would find the explanation (and the solution!) for all this pain!! I can now look forward to returning to a normal, pain-free life! Thanks so much to Clair Davies and others who contributed to making this book!!

P.S. I have just started reading through ALL the sections of this book (not just the ones for leg pain) since trigger point massage seems to help with all sorts of pain (i.e. carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, etc). So from now on I will consult this book FIRST before seeking a doctor or some medication for any type of pain. My only regret is that I didn't buy this book sooner!!
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50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Worked beautifully for me, April 5, 2006
This review is from: The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief, Second Edition (Paperback)
I would like to share my exerience ,briefly, with this book. I had shoulder pain for over two months, that neither rest,heat,cooling,meds, or excercise diminished in the slightest. My doctor could find no cause for it, and recommended physical therapy. That didn't help. Out of frustration, I picked up a stack of books at the library. Fortunately, this was the first one I looked at. I was skeptical frankly, but being desparate devoted a couple of hours to reading the salient parts of the book. I found my trigger point ( tender area ) on the front shoulder ( anterior deltoid as I recall ).
I purchased a lacrosse ball as recommened in the book, and proceeded to massage the area using the technique specified. The end result was in two days, the pain thruout my shoulder had diminished by approx. 80%. After 1 week, the pain was gone, with only an occasional sensation. It's been about 2 weeks now since I started, and I still have a very tiny tender area, so I give it the ball treatment a couple of times a day.
It's very important to complete the treatment until the trigger point is TOTALY erased ( as stated in the book ). Also, some have mentioned that the book is highly technical. It is to a degree, but not to where it can't be discerned by the average person with a little perseverance. You don't have to read the entire book! Just the initial couple of chapters on diagnosis and technique, then straight to the chapter that deals with your symptom area. Like I said, I spent a couple of hours reading, and went right at the treatment.
I had to write this, as I could not find the authors email anywhere, and I'm eternally grateful to him for giving the world this treatment technique that a layman can self adminster. If your a pain sufferer you owe it to yourself to at least try this system.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Do you know anybody like these people? Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
foot pain, buttock pain, knee pain, neck pain, massage guidelines, superficial spinal muscles, intrapelvic trigger points, sternocleidomastoid trigger points, semi muscles, intrapelvic muscles, trigger points cause pain, scalene massage, scalene trigger points, abdominal trigger points, subscapularis trigger points, lateralis number, infraspinatus trigger points, masseter trigger points, paired thumbs, anterior trigger points, supported thumb, deep spinal muscles, deep stroking massage, minor trigger points, tension flooding
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, Thera Cane, Upper Arm Pain, Hand Pain, Symptoms Trigger, Symptoms Pain, Janet Travell, The Trigger Point Manual, New Life, Trigger Point Guide, New York, Symptoms Figure, Barbara Cummings, Mid Back, Carl Rogers
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