Trigger Point Therapy

I have been dipping into Clair Davies' The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook and have found it a useful and practical guide.

In clinical practice I often resort to it if I have a stubborn and difficult-to-shift complaint. In the past I've incorporated it into achilles tendonitis complicated with plantar fasciitis, though with only minimal results.

I have obtained far better results with TPT in treating allergic rhinitis (through SCM massage) and repetitive strain injury (through scalenes and pectoralis minor massage).

It would be easy to dismiss TPT as western appropriation of Traditional Chinese Medicine. There are clear similarities between TP locations and Ashi points and with diagrams of TP's and meridian lines. However, there are also strong differences in approach, with TCM focusing on meridians and treating the pattern and TP going directly to the muscular source of the problem.

Both approaches have their strengths and I hope to investigate how best to combine them for the most effective treatment (see Peter Dorshers article comparing classic acupuncture points with trigger points).