About Your Visit With Us

How are you feeling?

Flu, COVID and general information is listed at bottom of this page.

Contact us to book your appointment or discuss your case.

The Intake Interview

To offer comprehensive treatment and the best chance of success, we must have information about you.

We’ll start with a detailed interview/history, establish your chief complaint, secondary complaints (there usually is), length of time that you have had the symptoms, medical diagnosis of your case, what therapies you may have already tried, your general stress levels, activity levels, medical issues, current medications, allergies, contraindications, and other pertinent information. This interview is part of your ≥ 90 minute initial appointment.

Your Treatment and Assessment

Unless there are contraindications, we treat everyone (young/elderly, athletic/ or not-so-athletic) who suffer chronic/acute pain or other non-pain symptoms related to TrPs.

NOTE: Clients under the age of 18 must have a parent or legal guardian present during treatment.

The treatment is not your typical massage – because it’s not really a massage. We do not use needles; however, there will be some discomfort when we manually compress your trigger points (sorry).

We will be continually communicating with you as we locate and work on the involved muscles (e.g. if you say “ouch”, we’ll say “sorry” and perhaps if needed, lighten-up on the pressure).

Throughout the treatment we’ll tell you the names of all the muscles that are involved and explain their function and possible connection to your chief complaint. As well, we firmly believe that you should be checked-over (head to toe assessment) to see if any other TrPs are lurking about… we won’t necessarily treat them on your first visit, but you’ll be advised of their existence. It’s sort of like a mechanic checking your car and catching problems before they get bad and your wheels fall-off. This is especially valuable information for you athletic folks.

We’ll also tell you the function of any other muscle you would like to know about (simply point to it or name it – we’ll tell you about it). We consider this valuable information, because when you understand how your musculoskeletal body works, it can be a powerful practical/psychological tool towards a successful healing process.

Post-Treatment

After your first visit, you may have some pain/discomfort at the areas that have been treated, or perhaps notice that you now have a new and/or different type of pain.

Some clients describe their post-treatment response as feeling like they’ve had an intense physical workout, while some have remarkable pain post-treatment. This is not unusual especially if you’ve had a long history of symptoms. It usually only lasts a day or two and then things settle down.

There is a possibility of some bruising after the first session – this is not too common, but it can happen. Usually if bruising occurs it will be at the buttocks or thigh area, but it can occur elsewhere on the body.

You may feel drowsy or tired after a treatment – this is the most common after-effect. Or, less likely, you may feel energized for the rest of the day. We have clients who say that they sleep quite well through the night after they’ve had a trigger point treatment – a pleasant possible side-effect.

You will need to drink plenty of water after your Trigger Point Therapy session. This helps flush the metabolic waste that has been released during the treatment – your kidneys will thank you.

Moist heat is the preferred ‘thermal’ method for the treated areas. If you cannot apply moist heat then a ‘beanbag’ or hot water bottle will suffice. I don’t usually advise prolonged use of electric heating pads – it’s the electro-magnetic field thing that concerns me. A warm/hot bath preferably with some Epsom salts, is an excellent post-treatment soother for the involved muscles. It’s also a great way to de-stress at the end of any day!

Since we like vascular dilation, please do not ice trigger points (or the muscles that have trigger points) unless we specifically tell you to do so!  Icing these muscles will typically make things worse by causing the muscle tissue and blood vessels to contract and consequently the trigger points re-forming / re-activating.

Keep in mind that any type of prolonged chilling to the skin (e.g. cool air or swimming) can serve to allow trigger points to perpetuate or re-establish in the muscle we are treating.

Maybe Some Homework?

For those who want homework, we will advise you regarding what you can do at home to expedite and encourage healing (including self-treatment) to the involved muscles.

Note: We typically suggest getting yourself a copy of Clair Davies and Amber Davies self-treatment book. The illustrations and explanations can make your homework much easier to follow and thereby, more effective.
The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief (A New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook)

Follow-up Treatments

Ideally you should plan on having your follow-up treatment within 1 week of the initial treatment. Some clients come in 2 or 3 times per week. The frequency of treatment depends on several factors such as case severity, budget, schedule constraints, and your response to treatment.

In some cases, should you want, we’ll book daily sessions (yes, you’ll have a comprehensive treatment every day). This daily treatment schedule is suggested to virtually all out-of-town clients who are staying in our city.

Flu, COVID, and General Office Info

Please review our policy so we can all be as safe and comfortable as possible.

• Please arrive at your scheduled appointment time as we do not have a general waiting room.

• Clients must be in good health to receive treatment i.e. no fever, cough, flu-like symptoms or ANY symptoms that could be related to a viral or other infection
• If you are not feeling well, or believe you may be unwell, or suspect you are COVID positive, call us to cancel and please stay home.
• Hand sanitizer and/or hand washing is available to clients.
• Hand washing before and after treatment is standard policy for practitioner.
• All sheets/linens are sanitized and fresh for each client.
• Complimentary bottled water is always available.

• If possible, please shower the morning of your appointment… we do appreciate it.
• Allergy Alert! We like the office to be scent-free (as best as possible). Please refrain from using cologne, body sprays and/or other aroma-enhancing products the day of your appointment.

Disclaimers

This website and it’s contents is for information purposes only. The contents and opinions expressed are not intended, nor should be interpreted as medical advice. We recommend consulting your primary health care provider before beginning any type of bodywork program or implementing self-treatment techniques.

William Huhn or William Huhn Method™ is not a Trigger Point Therapy school, nor an accredited institute, and makes no claim regarding such status. William Huhn or William Huhn Method™ assumes no responsibility for any person who uses/employs Trigger Point techniques either as a William Huhn Method™ certificate holder, or as a prospective WHM™ bodyworker.

Many physical therapies are effective, and William Huhn Method™ and “Client Testimonials” on this website, does not endeavour to diminish the efficacy of other therapies or bodywork.