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.

Now deceased, Clair Davies, NCTMB (Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork), specialized in trigger point massage for the treatment of pain. Mr. Davies's interest in massage began when he successfully self-treated a frozen shoulder with trigger point massage. Inspired by the experience, he began an intensive private study of trigger points and referred pain. He subsequently retired from a thriving piano service business to attend the Utah College of Massage Therapy where he trained as a professional massage therapist. From his home base in Lexington, Kentucky, Mr. Davies traveled extensively with his daughter Amber, leading continuing education workshops for professionals on trigger point massage. Clair Davies died peacefully at home in 2006 of colon cancer.

Amber Davies, CMTPT, LMT, is a certified myofascial trigger point therapist and licensed massage therapist living in Louisville, Kentucky. Her interest in trigger point therapy began in the mid-1990s when she and her father, Clair, successfully ended her six-year long battle with chronic low back pain. As a clinician, educator, and author, Ms. Davies is dedicated to helping bring the treatment of myofascial pain to the mainstream of healthcare. Ms. Davies teaches continuing education for professional therapists and self-treatment to people in pain. Visit www.triggerpointbook.com for course schedules, articles, discussion groups, and other resources.

Now deceased, foreword writer David G. Simons, MD, coauthored of Travell & Simons Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual