This book is about empowerment for chronic pain patients and care providers alike. Every chronic pain condition has a treatable myofascial trigger point component, including fibromyalgia. Many of the localized symptoms now considered as fibromyalgia are actually due to trigger points. The central sensitization of fibromyalgia amplifies symptoms that trigger points cause, and this book teaches care providers and patients how to identify and treat those causes. Chronic myofascial pain due to trigger points can be body-wide, and can cause or maintain fibromyalgia central sensitization. Trigger points can cause and/or maintain or contribute to many types of pain and dysfunction, including numbness and tingling, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, osteoarthritis, cognitive dysfunctions and disorientation, impotence, incontinence, loss of voice, pelvic pain, muscle weakness, menstrual pain, TMJ dysfunction, shortness of breath, and many symptoms attributed to old age or "atypical" or psychological sources. Trigger point therapy has been around for decades, but only recently have trigger points been imaged at the Mayo Clinic and National Institutes of Health. Their ubiquity and importance is only now being recognized. Devin Starlanyl is a medically trained chronic myofascial pain and fibromyalgia researcher and educator, as well as a patient with both of these conditions. She has provided chronic pain education and support to thousands of patients and care providers around the world for decades. John Sharkey is a physiologist with more than twenty-seven years of anatomy experience, and the director of a myofascial pain facility. Together they have written a comprehensive reference to trigger point treatment to help patients with fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, and many other conditions. This guide will be useful for all types of doctors, nurses, therapists, bodyworkers, and lay people, facilitating communication between care providers and patients and empowering patients who now struggle with all kinds of misunderstood and unexplained symptoms. Part 1 explains what trigger points are and how they generate symptoms, refer pain and other symptoms to other parts of the body, and create a downward spiral of dysfunction. The authors look at the interconnection between fibromyalgia and myofascial trigger points and their possible causes and symptoms; identify stressors that perpetuate trigger points such as poor posture, poor breathing habits, nutritional inadequacies, lack of sleep, and environmental and psychological factors; and provide a list of over one hundred pain symptoms and their most common corresponding trigger point sources. Part 2 describes the sites of trigger points and their referral patterns within each region of the body, and provides pain relief solutions for fibromyalgia and trigger point patients and others with debilitating symptoms. Pain treatment plans include both self-help remedies for the patient—stretching or postural exercises, self-massage techniques and prevention strategies—as well as diagnostic and treatment hints for care providers. Part 3 offers guidance for both patients and care providers in history taking, examination, and palpation skills, as well as treatment options. It offers a vision for the future that includes early assessment, adequate medical training, prevention of fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, changes to chronic pain management and possible solutions to the health care crisis, and a healthier version of our middle age and golden years, asserting that patients have a vital role to play in the management of their own health.

A practical guide to at-home pain relief with trigger point therapy Whether you're recovering from an injury, dealing with a chronic condition, or experiencing daily headaches—trigger point therapy can provide pain relief. Those hidden, tender knots in your muscles—also known as trigger points—may be small but they can cause a huge amount of pain. Trigger Point Therapy Made Simple puts healing in your hands so you can stop living in pain and get back to thriving in your life. Learn the ropes of trigger point therapy with an overview of what causes trigger points, how trigger point therapy works, and what to expect. Organized by muscle, the illustrated, step-by-step instructions will help you find relief from injuries, fibromyalgia, and other myofascial pain conditions with gentle, easy motions and massage techniques. At-home treatment should be simple and effective—and now it is. Trigger Point Therapy Made Simple includes: Beyond massage—Treat your muscles and your nervous system in 4 easy steps for maximum long-lasting pain relief. Anatomical aids—Handy anatomical illustrations let you pinpoint where your pain is and show you how to perform the gentle movements that will help you heal. Mind and body—Retrain your brain with a holistic approach to treatment, including helpful habits, breathing exercises, and stress-relief tips. Move better and recover faster with Trigger Point Therapy Made Simple.

A simple, go-to guide to treating chronic pain with trigger point therapy for physical therapists, bodyworkers, and patients From the bestselling author of The Concise Book of Trigger Points This pocket-sized guide covers practical information about the trigger points—the painful knots that can form in tissues like muscles and fascia—that are central to addressing chronic pain with massage, bodywork, and physical therapy. Full-color illustrations and charts help practitioners, students, and patients identify trigger points and address referred pain patterns with ease. The first chapter introduces relevant information on fascia and myofascial meridians and provides an overview of trigger point symptoms, classification, and formation. Subsequent chapters are organized by muscle group and feature concise—yet comprehensive—sections on each of the main skeletal muscles and their trigger points. Conditions that commonly occur in the general population, such as headaches and back pain, are explored for all of the muscle groups, including the muscles of the: Face, head, and neck Trunk and spine Shoulder and arm Forearm and hand Hip and thigh Leg and foot Written in clear, accessible language, this go-to guide offers a wealth of knowledge to the lay reader, the student, or the practitioner.

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. The Concise Book of Trigger Points has set the gold standard for providing a clear understanding of the treatment of trigger points. 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. This updated third edition includes new self-help and practitioner treatment guidelines for each muscle discussed, covering cutting-edge trigger point theory and practice. The opening chapters describe the basics of trigger points and include detailed therapeutic protocols. Chapters seven through twelve are organized by muscle groups, with detailed color illustrations of each major skeletal muscle. In addition, respected osteopath Simeon Niel-Asher discusses the physiological implications of the trigger points in each muscle—and techniques for treatment—and addresses the most common pain complaints, including headache, neck pain, shoulder pain, lower back pain, and TMJ syndrome. This is a must-have manual for students, professional hands-on therapists, and those who wish to gain a greater knowledge of trigger point therapy. “This book wonderfully describes the syndromes of myofascial pain that affect the skeletal muscles. The text is clear, with detailed information about the presentation of syndromes in each body region, and the illustrations show the referred pain patterns clearly. Individuals suffering from myofascial pain will find it useful in understanding and managing their symptoms.” --Dr. Bob Gerwin, MD, FAAN Medical Director and President, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland “Simeon Niel-Asher has improved on an already wonderfully descriptive book on myofacial pain, trigger points, and syndromes. The text is clear, the diagrams excellent and the overall result is an excellent resource.” --Dr. Simon Vulfsons, MD, Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Pain Management Director, the Institute for Pain Medicine, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel “This book is a must-have for manual therapists serious about their craft, as well as for serious self-treaters who want to take their level of understanding and treatment independence to a higher level. The book is extremely well organized, well written, and concise. The illustrations are beautiful and accurate.” --Jonathan Reynolds, Director, TOLA systems.

The BioMechanics Method for Corrective Exercise enables health and fitness professionals to identify common musculoskeletal imbalances in their clients and apply appropriate corrective exercises to swiftly eliminate muscle and joint pain and improve physical function.

The most up-to-date, comprehensive treatment guide to fibromyalgia, by a renowned physician who herself has the condition If you suffer from fibromyalgia and are struggling to get help from your doctor, you’re far from alone. Ten million Americans experience the widespread muscle pain, profound fatigue, and fuzzy brain (“fibrofog”) that have long frustrated both patients and doctors. In this unique resource, Ginevra Liptan, M.D., shares a cutting-edge new approach that goes far beyond mainstream medical knowledge to produce dramatic symptom improvement. Dr. Liptan’s program incorporates clinically proven therapies from both alternative and conventional medicine, along with the latest research on experimental options like medical marijuana. Since many health care providers have limited fibromyalgia expertise, The FibroManual includes a thoroughly sourced “health care provider guide” that enables readers to help their doctors help them. Alleviate fibromyalgia symptoms in four simple steps (Rest, Repair, Rebalance, and Reduce) and you will • restore deep, restful sleep • achieve long-lasting pain relief • optimize hormone and energy balance • reduce fatigue This accessible and empowering resource provides essential information about understanding and treating fibromyalgia from a physician who, as both patient and provider, understands the illness from the inside.

Dental professionals spend their working lives in stressful environments and in awkward postures, with resultant musculoskeletal problems. While there are numerous books on musculoskeletal pain, there is nothing specific for dental professionals on the holistic approach to the self-management of musculoskeletal conditions. This book is a practical guide; it combines all the different modalities in a logical and systematic programme, firstly by recognising the possible causes of your predicament, and secondly by effectively managing it to prevent recurrence.

At the beginning, your back may feel a little sorebut then it starts to get stiff. Before you know it, your muscles start seizing up, causing you to bend over like an old man, unable to move. Soon it may even become chronic. Constantly suffering or becoming addicted to pain medication is no way to live life, which is why James Tang wrote this practical guide to help those who suffer from back pain. Drawing on his experiences as someone who has suffered from lower back pain, he helps you understand its causes and symptoms, examining topics such as obesity, flat feet, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, sleep positions, and diet and sports nutrition. He also highlights how to holistically manage lower back pain via trigger-point therapy, flexibility training, and core stability exercises. With the majority of the population spending their working lives in prolonged seated positions, education about posture and back problems has never been more important. Get straightforward advice on preventing, managing, and eradicating pain with A Practical Guide to the Self-Management of Lower Back Pain.

An empowering guide that unites the ancient healing power of touch therapy—from acupressure to reflexology—with modern science to help relieve the number one cause of disease today: stress—and to soothe anxiety, boost immunity, and alleviate pain. Human beings are wired for touch. Touch is critical to our physical and mental health. And for centuries, cultures around the globe have employed touch as a powerful force for healing. And yet America is an increasingly touch-deprived, high-stress culture, and we are paying for it with our wellbeing. Now, in The Touch Remedy, leading touch therapy expert Michelle Ebbin, who appears regularly on The Dr. Oz Show and has been featured on The Doctors, The View, and Live with Kelly & Michael, demonstrates how the ancient wisdom of touch can truly change your life. A fresh, contemporary approach to natural health, which draws on a unique combination of ancient wisdom and cutting edge research, The Touch Remedy is a collection of proven touch therapy solutions to calm and heal every member of the family, from babies to grandparents to pets. Demystifying time-tested touch therapy techniques such as Acupressure, Reflexology, Cranial Sacral Therapy, among others, Ebbin shares her invaluable insight and provides clear, step-by-step remedies, accompanied by beautiful full-color photos, to relieve a range of physical and emotional stressors, from back pain and headache to anxiety. Her solutions are quick, taking only two-to-three minutes each, and easy, requiring only three steps, and most of the remedies can be done anytime, anywhere, even on the go. In addition, Ebbin shows how touch therapy offers powerful strategies to improve intimacy in relationships, bond with your children, and improve communication through touch. With The Touch Remedy, we can quite literally take our health into our own hands—and nurture the bodies, minds, and spirit of our loved ones and ourselves.

Integrative Medicine in Veterinary Practice Enables the entire veterinary team to seamlessly incorporate integrative medicine into everyday practice Integrative Medicine in Veterinary Practice is a unique resource designed to introduce the basic concepts of ten different integrative modalities to all members of the hospital team to establish a baseline of knowledge: explaining how patients will benefit from their use, discussing return on investment, informing veterinarians of available courses and suggested reading materials, walking managers through staff training, and providing client education materials. Supplemental web-based documents and presentations increase the ease with which staff are trained and clients are educated. Integrative medicine is not an all-or-nothing concept. This umbrella term encompasses a wide spectrum of treatment modalities. Therapies can be used individually or in combination, as part of a multimodal approach, and applied easily to every patient or used in select cases. Sample topics covered in Integrative Medicine in Veterinary Practice include: Photobiomodulation, covering light, laser specifics, mechanisms of action, supplies and equipment, and techniques Veterinary Spinal Manipulation Therapy (VSMT), covering pain in veterinary patients, mechanisms of action, adjustment vs. manipulation vs. mobilization, techniques, and post-adjustment recommendations Acupuncture, covering acupuncture point selection using traditional Chinese veterinary medicine (TCVM) and Western medicine techniques, mechanisms of action, safety, and practical applications. Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM), covering TCVM fundamentals as it applies to herbal classification and selection, herb production, safety, and formulation, and CHM applications. Integrative Medicine in Veterinary Practice is a valuable resource for all veterinary hospital team members, from customer service representatives to veterinary assistants/technicians, practice managers, and veterinarians. The text is also helpful to veterinary students interested in integrative medicine, or those taking introductory integrative medicine courses.