The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook:
I have owned a copy of this book for over 10 years now. I’ve actually replaced it several times when I’ve given my copy to someone who’s needed it. It’s an invaluable resource for pain management, muscle tension release, and self-massage.
The Intro
The book starts with the author’s backstory about how he was a piano tuner and ended up basically unable to work due to a frozen shoulder. This problem drove him to find his own solution since doctors didn’t seem able to help.
He worked through a complex medical text about trigger points and figured out how to apply them to himself. Then he decided to learn how to do massage so he would be credible enough to teach others the techniques.
The Techniques
The second section of the book shares several techniques the reader can use for self-massage. This is the book where I discovered the magical Theracane! He covers tools you can use, different massage strokes, as well as how to not hurt your hands during self-massage.
Even if you don’t care about trigger points, these techniques are really handy. But you should care about trigger points because working on them can have some pretty dramatic results.
The Muscles
The book is broken down into areas of the body. You can go to the section that covers whatever area is in pain, like back, shoulder, or abdomen. From there the area gets more specific. For example back of the shoulder. Then the muscles that could cause the pain you’re feeling are listed from most likely to least likely. The page for each muscle is listed so you can flip to it.
Then there’s a little write-up on the muscle. This section talks about where the muscles are located, symptoms of a trigger point in the muscle, possible causes, and then how to treat the trigger point.
Clinical Application
The last section of the book talks about how to apply trigger point therapy if you are a practicing body worker. Honestly, I’ve haven’t looked much at this section because I am not and never have been a practicing body worker.
Conclusion
I probably spend more time in this book than any other one on my shelf. It is a go-to reference and a common recommendation. There aren’t many books I could recommend as strongly.