Rating: 
Summary: Comprehensive information that promotes self-management...
Review: This book is a godsend. Clair Davies' book starts by describing the author's personal journey as a person in pain who discovered the power of self-applied trigger point therapy. The book then goes on to detail the basics of trigger point science and methods of self-treatment. Each body region contains muscle-by-muscle descriptions of trigger point locations, causes, referred pain patterns, and specific self-treatment techniques with fingers, thumbs, tennis balls or other hand-held "tools". Two populations will benefit. The first are professionals dealing with myofascial pain. Mr. Davies' book has neatly summarized many of the essentials contained in the bar-setting but often intimidating 2-volume "bibles" of trigger point therapy by Janet Travell and David Simons, which will make many more practitioners comfortable with the idea of searching for and treating trigger points with manual techniques. More important than information for clinicians is the help and hope this book offers to suffering patients. The book's focus is on self-treatment, which is not only *possible*, but is in fact *extremely* effective, and often downright necessary in this day and age: healthcare costs are forever rising, insurance coverage for physical therapy grows progressively more restrictive, massage therapists are often costly and the majority of the time, not covered by insurance, and, money factors aside, pain does not always present itself when professional treatment is readily available. Even with the *best* professional treatment, myofascial conditions are highly recurrent and knowing how to deal with these recurrences empowers patients and thereby reduces fear and apprehension. With information referenced from current and highly reputable sources, The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook has not only my highest recommendation, but also the endorsement of many, many well-known names in the field of myofascial pain, including one of its pioneers, Dr. David Simons.
Rating:
Summary: Truly Self-Help
Review: This book is both carefully researched and clearly written. As a massage therapist I have used it to guide my work and I have receommended it to clients as well as shown them how to treat their specific pain areas. Many are happily surprised with the results.
Rating: 
Summary: Effective Self-Help for Pain
Review: This book provides lots of good information on healing pain. It's written in an accessible, easy-to-read style for people who don't know anything about muscles, yet the information is not simplistic, and is useful even for professionals who want to learn about trigger points. This book is great for people who have chronic pain and are motivated to help themselves. Trigger point massage really does a lot more good than anything doctors have to offer -- most doctors are not trained to effectively help people with muscular pain. And it's cheaper and more effective to do it yourself than pay to see a massage therapist, because you'd need to go every day for most seriously chronic problems. I do have a few complaints: There are lots of illustrations, but they don't always show all the areas of referred pain. There are handy lists arranged by body part, but it would be even more helpful to have a more detailed reference guide where you could look up specific symptoms. I also think Davies is a little too enthusiastic, claiming trigger points are the cause of most pain. He is also unfairly disparaging of massage therapists. Any properly trained massage therapist knows it's not always the spot where it hurts that's causing the problem, and if you know how all the muscles work together to act on a joint, and a little about nerve pathways, you're going to address most of the areas that are likely to have trigger points. Still, he has a valid point in that consumers need to ask whether a massage therapist specializes in relaxation massage or knows how to treat specific pain and injuries.
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Summary: This book is a must have!
Review: This book was recommended by our Trigger Point instructor. It has been the greatest find ever and has saved me over hundreds of dollars in unnecessary medical care.
It thoroughly explains how to get the results you're needing in order to feel relief from pain.
I reccomend this book to eveyone! This book has given me the confidence I need in order to heal my own body and to rid myself of illnesses without medication.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This is an EXCELLENT book for the beginning massage student to the experenced LMT. The illustrations are right on and one is able to fully understand where the trigger points are when reading the text. Clair Davies has produced a remarkable book in a format that everyone, including the "self- help, do-it-yourself" person can understand. I used this book as supplemental material for one of my massage classes and refer to it quite often. A must have for anyone!!! Davies takes one through the entire body, clearly explaining the symptoms, and then illustrating not only the muscles, but also the referring pain pattern from the associated trigger points. He also explains the causes for each trigger point and then goes into detail for palpating that particular muscle and treating the trigger point. The illustrations are concise, numerous and very detailed. Case studies are also presented with each muscle group, so that the reader can more clearly understand the assoicated pain and how to treat that particular muscle. One can use this book without any knowledge of anatomy and be able to understand it and apply the various treatment methods outlined. The information presented is invaluable - a most wonderful resouce!!!
Rating:
Summary: Great book, but watch the selling price...
Review: This is an excellent book, well-written and usable by anyone who is suffering from chronic pain. As a massage therapist, I have found the information and instructions invaluable. My clients and I are both pleased at the results we have achieved in the two years I have been using the book.
Clair Davies has done a wonderful job of taking very technical and 'dense' information, and breaking it down into information that is accessible for all.
I am a little startled to see the prices the book is selling for here-sometimes almost double the cover price for a book which is still in print. If it comes with the Theracane, that is great, but if not...it seems a bit of a gouge.
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Summary: Everyone needs a copy of this book!
Review: This is an excellent book. It is well-written and easy to understand, and has helped me tremendously. I am a musician, who developed hand pain a few months ago. I had one session each with both Clair and his daughter Amber and worked on myself several times a day using the methods described in this book. I am now virtually pain free and, better yet, I have the skills I need to deal with any returning pain. I have also found Clair's methods useful in all of my everyday pains -- in my back, feet, and hips, in particular. This book can help everyone, since we all suffer from some type of pain. I highly recommend it.
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Summary: Best book on trigger points!
Review: This is by far the best book on trigger points. I'm a massage therapist and found the info in this book to help my patients tremendously. I also used this book as a reference for the national certification examination for therapeutic massage and bodywork. If you really want to know the type of questions asked on the national certification test get the following which is also sold on amazon:
The Ultimate Study Guide for the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork: Key Review Questions and Answers
(Volume 1) ISBN: 0971999643
(Volume 2) ISBN; 0971999651
(Volume 3) ISBN: 097199966X
The last three books were excellent. I passed the first time. I give my highest recommendation of 10 stars to these 4 books.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: This is one of the best books I've seen so far. I have told other massage therapists to get this book, and they love it too. It has helped me a lot.
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Summary: It works on sciatica
Review: Two years I had stinging pain on the side of my right leg to my toes. When it would fire up it was excruciating and often I would lose strength in the leg. One night while standing watching tv, I found with my thumb a trigger point to the right of L4-5. It was painful and very sensitive. I continued to massage it as directed in the "Manual" until I was getting sore from the rubbing. I turned off the tv and went straight to bed. The next day I was nearly pain free. I ordered a Theracane and continued to work the trigger point for several days. Within four or five days the pain was reduced from an 8 - 10 to 2 -3. Additionally, I heard about a chiropractic treatment called the Cox Technique or
"distraction" treatment. I talked to my chiro and after two sessions pain is absent for days at a time. When it does reoccur it is minimal and ocurring less frequently all the time. There's nothing like the absence of pain.
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