The Belly Dance Chronicles Jan/Feb/Mar 2020 Volume 18, Issue 1 | Page 79

“The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook” is a resource book that guides you in finding the right trigger points to reduce pain and restore full movement and range of motion without pain. The goal of this book is to find the most effective and easy ways to ease pain and prevent future problems. This book gives you a sensible explanation of what’s wrong and helps you find the source of your pain. Then, Self-treatment becomes a valuable life skill. The better you are able to self-treat your own trigger points, the more functional and pleasant your life can be. This includes important information on troubleshooting to find the source of pain by learning about body mechanics, then providing “Pain Guides” for regions and areas of the body: e.g. Head, Face, and Neck areas, Shoulder, Upper Back, and Upper Arms; Elbow, Forearm, and Hands, etc. With each of theses regions of the body a Pain Guide lists a more specific area of pain e.g. Back of Head – and lists the associated muscles with illustrations. An excellent approach making the theoretical practical for the layperson user is a “list of symptoms” that relate to the problem areas of the body e.g. migraine, range of motion issues – page numbers direct you to the information for self-treatment of the health issue and/or associated problem pain. There are short stories of people who experienced pain and health issues, who then practiced self-treatment with trigger point massage – making this therapeutic approach both authenticated and more interesting. In addition to providing a method to self-assess, diagnosis and then engage in therapeutic trigger point massage for pain in problem areas, the book also addresses Relaxation Techniques and Passive Tension Flooding as methods to control stress and avoid muscle tension. And for those who are practitioners of health care and health maintenance, this book also covers more in-depth information on the electro-mechanical view of muscle metabolism and contraction; as well as the physiology of trigger points. Treatment guidelines include massage techniques, neurological and vascular symptoms associated with the physical dysfunction. For those interested in learning more detailed information on the Physiology of Trigger Points: more in-depth information is provided on: Trigger Point Symptoms of referred pain, Neurological and Vascular Symptoms of Physical Dysfunction, Types of Muscle Abuse Causing Pain (and how to avoid abuse and pain). January 2020  The Belly Dance Chronicles 79