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A typical experience

I had a new client the other day for an 80 minute massage. I asked him if there is anything that he wanted me to know.  He told me that he suffers from a herniated disc that he has had for a few years. He has constant low back and right hip pain that at times radiates down the back of his leg to his knee. He told me that he has had two injections in his low back and has to stay on anit- inflamtory medication.  Anything to avoid surgery. The pain is always there. I asked him if he ever saw a chiropractor for his pain.  He said yes.  But the adjustments hurt his hip so bad that he could not continiue.  So here is a guy that thinks he is on the verge of surgery. I knew that there was a very strong probubllity that was not the case. The vast majority of pain people experience is nocioceptive pain( soft tissue- muscle, tendon, ligament, facia).  MDs and Chiropractors see pain as neuropathic pain( nerve pain).  With that asumption they give the wrong treatments and therapies.  Now there is no denying that at times injections and surgery is needed. Not denying that.   But most of the time - NOT.  70% to 85% of all pain comes directly from trigger points.  Anyway I showed my client a testimonial from a client that I was able to help out of a very painful condition that she had delt with for a couple of years. I showed him that testimonial because all pain has a psychological eliment too it. I wanted him to start thinking maybe he is not on the edge of surgery.  I palpated his entire back upper torso, both hips, and right leg. I found a very painful spot on his right L5 erectors.  Another very painful spot on his right greater trochantor.  A painful spot in the middle part of his lower right hamstrings.  And also a tender spot on the right spinous of L3.  I knew that if Iwas able to eliminate all those painful palaptory spots that I would most likely eliminate his pain problem.  Because a healthy body had no painful spots even with deep massage.  Ive been hunting and eliminateing trigger points for thirty years now.  He walked out of the massage room pain free. He was pain free for the first time in years. All those other professional people misdiagnosed him because they assume neuropathic pain over nocioceptive pain.  I assume the other way around.  I'm a Massage Therapist.  

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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on February 20, 2017 at 2:09am
When I asked her what she needed from the massage today, she told me...."Mostly to relax I guess." That tells me there is something she needs besides relaxing. That usually means pain somewhere. I hear similar phrases like that quite often. That kind of puts me on the spot, because if getting rid of pain is only a partial goal, there is a more then a fair chance that won't happen, as far as pain relief. A lot of people don't really expect that to happen in a spa. They more likely think that way in a chiropractic or physical therapy setting. This lady was very fit. She was injured badly in an auto accident a few years ago. She had to go through 8 months of physical therapy before she felt halfway normal. After that she started working out in a serious way knowing that would help compensate for the left over pain that troubled her from time to time. Even though she was fit , a level of pain was always with her. I should of asked her to give me a 1 to 10 scale, but I didn't. Through my general palpation assessment I determined right low back pain and left between the shoulder blade and spine pain. She also told me that she gets left lateral knee pain , but it doesn't stop her from working out. Occasionally the back and shoulder pain does.
I found a bad right QL trigger point on the Illiac crest, and two more bad ones on the right transverse processes of of L3 and L2. On her left shoulder blade area she had two or three really bad trigger points. Also a Levator scapula and two really bad Upper Trap trigger points. She also had a bad trigger point on the right paraspinals at about the T6 level. She also had a painful left lateral spinous trigger point at T1 and a very painful lateral spinous trigger point on the right lateral spinous of T12. That was a really painful one. On her lateral left knee was a medium level trigger point. In addition she had a noticeable left Gastrocnemius trigger point. All the trigger points deactivated. But what was really cool for me is that I tested out two new techniques, and they worked. One technique was very similar to one I use often, the other was completely new, just something I wanted to try after reading an acupuncture book. And to the clients astonishment, and mine as well, it worked. I will have to test it out on other clients in order to find out if it's a truely viable procedure. But anyway they took the trigger points out, and that's what counts. After the massage she felt pain free, and was very happy. She lives far out of town and I won't be able to see her on a follow up. I suggested to her that she avoid exercising for a few days in order to let her body heal from this therapy. Take a couple days to soak in hot baths and eat good food. She said she would. That was cool. Way cool. In the attachments are some of her trigger points. Gosh I find it hard to believe that some people don't believe in trigger points? Gosh if you touch somebody and they flinch noticibly( withdrawal reaction ) that indicates pain. If it's not a trigger point it's still pain. A totally healthy body won't flinch like that even under firm pressure. And if you are able to make all those flinch spots go away. The persons pain problem is gone. That's what happens. Hmm???
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on February 20, 2017 at 1:28pm
If nothing else is wrong, or especially during a relaxation massage, I always spend a lot of time working on the hands and feet. Especially the feet because I can sit down. The brain devotes a lot of attention to the inputs from those areas. Check the attachment out. Maybe that's why the reflexology thing got started? Check the attachment out.
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on February 22, 2017 at 12:17am
This thread doesn't just have to be about trigger points. You don't even have to believe in trigger points. I mean that's my thing for sure. But let's say you helped someone with Cranial Sacral Therapy, or Reflexology, or any hands on therapy that you do. That would be really cool for all of us to hear about. I got an email from someone else on this site that doesn't do trigger point work. But she still likes reading my posts because it gives her ideas on how to approach clients, and she likes the attachments. And that's all good as far as I'm concerned.
One thing I know for sure. Massage therapists are caring people and very passionate about what they do. I think we can all agree on that. It reminds me of my martial arts days, when there were endless arguments about which martial art was best or most real. But the reality is, if a judo guy and a karate guy get in a fight... The best fighter wins, reguadless of the style. So if ya have a cool patient/ client story.. Tell us about it. I'm sure many would find it interesting.
Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on February 22, 2017 at 2:08am
Here is a website I recently discovered. Some of you might find it interesting?
http://www.webmanmed.com/index.html
Permalink Reply by Therese Schwartz on February 22, 2017 at 11:36am

Well said, Gordon! :-)

Gordon J. Wallis said:

This thread doesn't just have to be about trigger points. You don't even have to believe in trigger points. I mean that's my thing for sure. But let's say you helped someone with Cranial Sacral Therapy, or Reflexology, or any hands on therapy that you do. That would be really cool for all of us to hear about. I got an email from someone else on this site that doesn't do trigger point work. But she still likes reading my posts because it gives her ideas on how to approach clients, and she likes the attachments. And that's all good as far as I'm concerned.
One thing I know for sure. Massage therapists are caring people and very passionate about what they do. I think we can all agree on that. It reminds me of my martial arts days, when there were endless arguments about which martial art was best or most real. But the reality is, if a judo guy and a karate guy get in a fight... The best fighter wins, reguadless of the style. So if ya have a cool patient/ client story.. Tell us about it. I'm sure many would find it interesting.
Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on February 23, 2017 at 12:20am
Not to piss anyone off, but back on the subject of trigger points. Remember this is my truth. Up to you as to how you process what I say.. I know that trigger points/tender points ( Painful Palpatory Areas ) are responsible for an aweful lot of pain as well as misdiagnosed pain in this country. I see it almost every day at work. I've also noticed that a lot of experienced therapists and educators never think or say the word trigger point? But they encounter them every day? They have to, because I do. But maybe they don't need to?... because what they do trashes trigger points anyway. Here is an example of what I'm saying. As far as I know, the guy ( famous massage educator guy ) in the video clip, that I will link to this comment, never mentions the word trigger point or goes after them in any direct specific way. Yet he eliminates them anyway. In this video clip on how he balances the sacrum he finds a trigger point but says nothing about it. And he must have made the trigger point go away, judging by his clients reaction. Now if I palpated that trigger point on her. That would be my main focus. I would initiate a procedure that would specifically eliminate that trigger point. Then move on. So I still say trigger points are the leading cause of pain on the planet. And if after your session, or a series of sessions, your client is pain free. Wheather you know it or not? You eliminated trigger points. Ok, watch this video. You will see what I mean.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF8uXf8Y5oI&sns=em
Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on February 23, 2017 at 1:32pm
One of the biggest contributors to jaw pain is the Masseter muscle. How do you treat the Masseter muscle? Here are some examples of different approaches.
The first is Muscle Energy Technique. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN3YCjZyd7Q&sns=em
The second is Strain Counterstrain ( positional release ). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=306BkqiSxqo&sns=em
The third is Til Luchau's Myofascial approach. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb-9BDDIay8&sns=em
The forth is this ladies trigger point approach. I use her techniques myself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPQHn7NkE3k&sns=em
This last example is my approach. Ancient Acupressure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8343Hr-cmk&sns=em
Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on February 23, 2017 at 3:02pm

I use acupressure ( not as it is currently taught in any school ) to eliminate tender points/trigger points in the body. I've done a lot of study and thinking on how acupuncture ( hence acupressure ) really works.
Pueppi Texas said:

Gordon J. Wallis said:

This last example is my approach. Ancient Acupressure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8343Hr-cmk&sns=em

Gordon, I am somewhat confused.  You mention that you provide a technique called "Ancient Acupressure", however acupressure and trigger point work are two different techniques.  Acupressure is not trigger point work and trigger point work is not acupressure.  Are you combining techniques?

Thanks in advance.

Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on February 23, 2017 at 3:22pm

I understand what you are saying. But what I have discovered, I can't believe the Ancient Chinese didn't know. It's all based on information I got from reading acupuncture books. The Anesthesiologist I'm working with wants to set up a school where I can teach. That will maybe be five years down the road. I was thinking of calling it ... Acupressure-13 muscle method. (ATMM)
Pueppi Texas said:

Thanks for the response.  But, if you are not using acupressure as is taught in TCM, then you are not using acupressure at all.  You are just using the name "acupressure" for a technique that is not acupressure.

It would be at though I were saying I was drinking a "coke" when I was drinking a ginger ale.  They are both liquid and fizzy, but have nothing to do with each other.

I would encourage you to find the appropriate name for your technique, or call it the "Wallis Technique". Taking on the names of techniques which have nothing to do with what you do (and trying to mold them into something they are not)  doing only serves to create confusion. 

Continuing with this confusion in turn makes a situation where you will never be able to grow and utilize the full capacity of what you are being offered, by working with the anesthesiologist/pain management MD.  You have the potential to expand, due to their credentials.  By doing things haphazardly, you loose that opportunity.

Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on February 24, 2017 at 3:21am
Most of what I'm doing is derived directly from TCM. And trigger points were around a thousand years ago in China as they are today. And Acupuncturists today treat trigger points, and still call it Acupuncture.
Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on February 25, 2017 at 12:36am
Pueppi, you obviously have great passion for our profession and what you do. And you are correct to say that Acupressure and Trigger Point Therapy are two separate modalities. That is to say, as they are taught now.

"But there is much in the world we are not taught."

And it's true, like my thread indicates , I'm a Trigger Point Guy. But In no way shape or form am I finding and deactivating trigger points in the standard accepted way of any trigger point organization on the planet. There is no book on what I'm doing.

The number one reason people seek Acupuncture Treatments is for pain relief. And you know how I think. A huge percentage of that pain is from myofascial trigger points( 80% ).

I have to guess now. But I would say that 95% of what I'm doing is dirived from Acupuncture. And about 5% is deemed from Western Sources, Rolfing and Strain Counterstrain. And sense I'm not using needles. I called it Acupressure.

All that being said, I'm not concerned about a name. I'm still studying new ideas/therapies, and very busy transitioning into my new work environment. My fault I used the word Acupressure. To me that's what it is. But as to the brand , or any sense of copyright to the word Acupressure, it is not. My main thing is hunting trigger points.
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on February 26, 2017 at 3:13pm
Yesterday ended up a big trigger point Day. All new clients. Only one of them was totally a non-trigger point session. All of them came in initially for relaxation massages. But after briefly talking to them, they opened up about their aches and pains. Most of them told me about how their various joints go out or their scoliosis that's causing their various aches and pains. It was all trigger points though. A couple of them the trigger points were severe enough for them to re-schedule follow ups. One client in particular use to be a figure scatter until she had to stop because of plantar fasciitis in one foot. Three years she has not stated. And that's her passion. I didnt ask her about other practitioners she may have seen for her plantar fasciitis. Anyway I checked her out. It was one trigger point in the arch of her foot. In the attachment it's the one nearest the ankle. It deactivated quickly. She will need a few follow ups before it stays gone... She was really happy. Those tissues should heal. Then she will be good to go.
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