Informed Touch

Book excerpt: A clinical reference manual for the evaluation and treatment of muscle pain. • Detailed color illustrations of pain patterns and trigger-point locations. • First accessible reference manual for acupuncturists, chiropractors, osteopaths, and physical, occupational, and massage therapists. In this easy-to-use guide to the treatment of muscle pain, medical educators Steven and Donna Finando present evaluation and palpation techniques for reducing trigger points--and thereby alleviating pain--in the most clinically significant musculature of the body. A "user's manual" for health care practitioners, Informed Touch examines a wide range of pain patterns and their treatment. Introductory chapters include discussion of the oriental medicine concept of Qi and its relationship to myology, information on trigger point location and activation, and palpatory skill-building techniques. Detailed information on each muscle, including pain-pattern and trigger-point illustrations and specific palpation instructions, allows clinicians to locate specific areas quickly and accurately. A visual index, showing reduced versions of the pain-pattern illustrations, makes it easy for clinicians to identify the muscles that may be involved in a patient's complaint. Informed Touch answers the reference needs of the growing community of physical and occupational therapists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, osteopaths, and massage therapists.