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.
I highly recommend this book for clinicians, but also for individuals suffering from myofascial pain who will find it useful in understanding and managing their pain. --Dr. Bob Gerwin, MD, FAAN Medical Director and President, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
Simeon Niel-Asher has put together a practical and helpful guide for both practitioners and patients alike. It is written in a clear language and with full colour diagrams throughout, which show both the sites of origin of the pain, and referred pain regions, together with possible self-help where appropriate, and better understanding and help from health professionals not previously offered.
Simeon Niel-Asher makes it very clear that trigger points and the pain and other symptoms they cause, can be mistaken for many things. There is a good explanation into the theory behind trigger point s therapy especially the role of the mitochondria, muscles, connective tissue, metabolic problems, kinetics, and chemical reactions in detail.
The book highlights the point that chronic myofascial pain is a physiological condition, that you can't relax a shortened, dysfunctional muscle without physical intervention. Trigger points are highly irritable localized spots of exquisite tenderness, within skeletal muscle , states the author and gives a good structural explanation into the theories behind the formation of trigger points and offers extensive information on probably every helpful therapy available.
The anatomical drawings by illustrator Amanda Williams are amazing; here a picture really does speak a thousand words. The scenarios offered and the presentation of the material connects the reader on a personal level and they are particularly important if the reader is an osteopath, chiropractor, physician or medical student, because understanding how trigger points can affect one's life and livelihood is of extreme significance. Every patient that experiences chronic pain should have access to this information.
I urge patient readers to share this book with their healthcare provider because education is power and patient empowerment creates the same ripple effect of a stone that skips across a body of water; just like trigger points there is no end to the effect it can have.
After reading through this book several times I can honestly say I owe a great deal to the author. I can't recommend it enough to sufferers of these debilitating conditions.
All health care professionals and doctor practices should have a copy. --Positive Health Online: Autumn 2014
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
