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- Confusing the benefits of salty and non-salty baths
- “I’ve tried to interpret the findings of the best physiologists and translate them into sound practices. That’s made me a radical.”
- Dr. Tim Taylor has contributed a new chapter to my book, Save Yourself from Trigger Points & Myofascial Pain Syndrome!
- And again! More muscle knot squishing science, different experiment, same results
- (Newer than new) evidence that squishing trigger points works
- Jedi mind trick turns a muscle relaxant drug into a stimulant
- Wishful thinking does not get much more wishful than this
- A trigger point is almost mistaken for a tumor
- WARNING! Traumeel contains .00000000000000001% pure death!
- The three most common words in massage therapy are pointless
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Category Archives: self-massage
(Newer than new) evidence that squishing trigger points works
An upcoming issue of Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies will include a new study of trigger point squishing. I was lucky to get a look at a final draft, thanks to connections at The Pressure Positive Company, the massage tool manufacturer that supplied the tools.
This experiment has the simple elegance of a good science-fair [...]
Also posted in massage, massage therapy, massage tools, research, self-treatment, therapy, treatment, trigger points Leave a comment
New article: Should You Drink Water After Massage?
After getting this question from a reader for about the bazillionth time, I decided it was finally time to write an article about it. A little salamander sass is included at no extra charge, as usual.
Should You Drink Water After Massage? Only if you’re thirsty!
Also posted in debunkery, detoxification, hydrotherapy, massage, massage therapy, nutrition Leave a comment
“Perfect” spots? Not hardly: an uncomfortable legacy
Many years ago I set out to write about the “perfect spots” for massage, and I began a series of articles. Some of those became the most visited and popular articles on this website. They are alarmingly close to becoming my “legacy.” I have probably received more positive feedback about them than anything else I [...]
Also posted in massage, massage therapy, self-treatment Leave a comment
A simple headache success story (to re-introduce the perfect spots)
Yesterday my cat, Cali, woke me up with a particularly insistent feed-me-now yowl. Normally I would find this irritating, but yesterday she was doing me a favour, because my neck was in a crazy position and I was cooking up a violent headache. Some wee muscles behind my head were in a shortened position, and [...]
Also posted in headache, massage therapy, self-treatment, tips Leave a comment
New article: The Trigger Point Symptom Checker
I interviewed creator Jeff Lutz about The Trigger Point Products Symptom Checker, a unique online reference tool to help both patients and professionals visually identify the “muscle knots” that may be causing pain, stiffness and other symptoms, and appropriate massage tools to assist in self-treatment.
Read the interview.
Visit The Trigger Point Symptom Checker.
Also posted in diagnosis, massage tools, self-treatment, tips, trigger points Leave a comment
Massage for low back pain is an evidence-based therapy, despite the need for more study
Massage therapy is an effective treatment for low back pain: that’s the finding of a comprehensive review of the science, from a 2008 Cochrane review (Cochrane reviews are generally considered to be the most authoritative summaries of scientific research). The conclusions are strongly positive (emphases mine):
Massage is beneficial for patients with subacute and chronic non-specific [...]
Also posted in low back pain, research, self-treatment Leave a comment
A preliminary review of The Pressure Positive Company
I’m delighted to offer an uncharacteristically cheerful preliminary review of a massage tool manufacturer I really like: The Pressure Positive Company. In January, I’ll be publishing a full review of this unusual company and their products. For now, I’d just like to do a brief introduction:
Readers, meet The Pressure Positive Company.
The Pressure Positive Company, [...]
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Why doesn’t that good feeling last?
A reader just reported to me that, after a few days of regularly massaging her masseter muscles (as per instructions here and here), she experienced “a 20 hour state of euphoria” during which time she “needed very little sleep, was completely pain free, and was giddy with joy.”
Wow!
And then the effect faded.
Self-massage rarely has such [...]
Posted in self-massage Leave a comment
Bucket of balls
This morning I was struck by the powerful, simple utility of a “bucket of balls” — that is, a handy container full of various balls suitable for self-massage. Large balls, small balls, soft balls and hard balls.
Er, so? This sounds rather unremarkable.
What struck me particularly about this today was the exceptional bang-for-buck that can be [...]
Also posted in tips, trigger points Leave a comment
And again! More muscle knot squishing science, different experiment, same results