Trigger Point Basics – Certification Course

‘Basics’ is an ideal adjunct to massage therapy, bodywork, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, osteopathy, sports medicine and other health professionals who typically employ hands-on techniques and could benefit from basic skills in comprehensive Trigger Point theory, protocol, and applied palpation/treatment techniques.

 

Attendees discover that there’s so much more to Trigger Point Therapy than simply following an illustration to inactivate a specific TrP.

 

This course is presented by William Huhn, to professional groups, by arrangement.

 

  • It is presented live, in-class only. Thirty-five hours, over 5 consecutive days.
  • There is pre-reading required (perpetuating factors)
  • A Certificate of Achievement is issued upon full attendance and successfully passing a written test.

 

Sorry, this course is NOT open to the general public.

 

Contact us for specific details and/or to arrange this course for your group.

 

Note: this course covers manual compression only.

It does NOT include dry needling nor injection techniques.

 

Here’s What’s Covered

Day 1:

 

Trigger Point theory; 4.0 hours

  • Myofascial Trigger Points are real
  • Causes of trigger point formation
  • Active trigger points refer pain in predictable patterns
  • Trigger points affect muscle, fascia, tendons and ligaments
  • Other symptoms that trigger points produce (e.g. autonomic/proprioceptive phenomena)
  • Susceptibility to trigger points
  • Vitamins and minerals; their relationship to muscle health
  • How to carry out basic “trigger points” assessment of your client
  • How to physically train/rehab the client when trigger points are suspected
  • The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: by Clair Davies, N.C.T.M.B.
  • Travell and Simons, M.D. and their contributions to Trigger Point

Lunch 1.0 hour

 

Intake/Assessment; 2.5 hours

  • Patient/client Intake interview
  • Assessment techniques

Questions 0.5 hour

 

Day 2:

 

Hands-on; 1.0 hour

TMJD and related issues.

  • Practicing location/palpation techniques on sternocleidomastoid, levator scapula, masseter, temporalis, lateral pterygoid, medial pterygoid, digastric, pectoralis and trapezius muscles.

 

 

Hands-on; 2.0 hours
Treating headaches, neck pain, vertigo, migraine.

  • detailed palpation techniques of muscles for trigger points, treatment techniques, post-treatment protocol, latent/active TrPs, contraindications.
  • explain how TrPs play a major role in vertigo, neck pain, headache issues and migraine.
  • discuss the muscles that play a causal role in these issues – and how to deactivate their trigger points.

Some muscles we will treat are: sternocleidomastoid, suboccipital, trapezius, temporalis, and others.

  • demonstrate how exercise affects trigger points in these muscles.
  • protocol for rehabilitating the TrP affected muscle

 

Lunch 1.0 hour

 

Hands-on; 3.0 hours
Shoulder issues, including Frozen Shoulder.

  • detailed palpation techniques of muscles for trigger points, treatment techniques, post-treatment protocol, latent/active TrPs, contraindications.
  • explain how TrPs play a major role in Frozen Shoulder, shoulder pain, stiffness, rotator cuff injuries, and range of motion issues.
  • discuss the muscles that play a causal role in these issues – and how to deactivate their trigger points.

Some muscles we will treat are: trapezius, rhomboid, infraspinatus, supraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis, and others.

  • protocol for rehabilitating the TrP affected muscle.
  • how TrPs always affect muscle strength and performance and why muscle performance always improves when trigger points are removed.

 

Questions 0.5 hour

 

Day 3:

 

Review Day 2. 1.0 hour

 

Hands-on; 2.5 hours
Arm pain, CTS, tennis/golfer’s elbow, hand pain/numbness.

  • detailed palpation techniques of muscles for trigger points, treatment techniques, post-treatment protocol, latent/active TrPs, contraindications.
  • explain how TrPs play a major role in arm pain, CTS, tennis/golfer’s elbow, hand pain/numbness.
  • discuss the muscles that play a causal role in these issues – and how to deactivate their trigger points.
  • Some muscles we will treat are: triceps, scalenes, biceps, hand extensors/flexors and others.
  • demonstrate how exercise affects trigger points in these muscles.
  •  protocol for rehabilitating the TrP affected muscle.
  • how stress, medications, over-use, trauma and skeletal abnormalities affect TrPs.

Lunch 1.0 hour

 

Hands-on; 3.0 hours
Chest pain, breast pain, and upper back pain.

  • detailed palpation techniques of muscles for trigger points, treatment techniques, post-treatment protocol, latent/active TrPs, contraindications.
  • explain how TrPs play a major role in chest pain, breast pain, and upper back pain.
  • discuss the muscles that play a causal role in these issues – and how to deactivate their trigger points.

Some muscles we will treat are: pectoralis major/minor, serratus anterior, serratus posterior superior, scalenes, rhomboids, and others.

  • demonstrate how exercise affects trigger points in these muscles.
  • protocol for rehabilitating the TrP affected muscle.
  • how stress, medications, over-use, trauma and skeletal abnormalities affect TrPs.

Questions 0.5 hour

 

Day 4:

 

Hand-in written tests

 

Review Day 3. 1.0 hour

 

Hands-on; 3.0 hours
Lumbar, hips, buttocks and groin issues.

  • detailed palpation techniques of muscles for trigger points, treatment techniques, post-treatment protocol, latent/active TrPs, contraindications.
  • explain how TrPs play a major role in lumbar pain, hips, buttocks, and groin issues.
  • discuss the muscles that play a causal role in these issues – and how to deactivate their trigger points.

 

Some muscles we will treat are: gluteus maximus/medius/minimus, quadratus lumborum, erector spinae, piriformis, iliopsoas, rectus abdominis and others.

 

  • demonstrate how exercise affects trigger points in these muscles.
  • protocol for rehabilitating the TrP affected muscle.
  • how stress, medications, over-use, trauma and skeletal abnormalities affect TrPs.

 

Lunch 1.0 hour

 

Hands-on; 2.5 hours.
Bladder, IBS, genital pain, dysmenorrhea, abdominal, and autonomic/proprioceptive phenomena issues.

  • detailed palpation techniques of muscles for trigger points, treatment techniques, post-treatment protocol, latent/active TrPs, contraindications.
  • explain how TrPs play a major role in bladder, IBS, genital pain, dysmenorrhea, and abdominal and autonomic phenomena issues.
  • discuss the muscles that play a causal role in these issues – and discuss how to deactivate their trigger points.

 

Some muscles we will treat are: abdominal obliques, rectus abdominis, adductor magnus/ longus/ brevis, pectoralis major and sternocleidomastoid.

  • demonstrate how exercise affects trigger points in these muscles.
  • protocol for rehabilitating the TrP involved muscle.
  • how stress, over-use, trauma and skeletal abnormalities affect TrPs.

 

Questions 0.5 hour

 

Day 5:

 

Return Tests and Review Day 4. 1.0 hour

 

Hands-on; 2.5 hours

Thigh, (includes hamstring issues) knees, legs and feet. This will include sciatic pain, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, and shin splints.

  • detailed palpation techniques of muscles for trigger points, treatment techniques, post-treatment protocol, latent/active TrPs, contraindications.
  • explain how TrPs play a major role in thigh, knees, legs and feet; this will include sciatic pain, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, and shin splints.
  • discuss the muscles that play a causal role in these issues – and how to deactivate their trigger points.

Some muscles we will treat are: biceps femoris, semitendinosis, semimembranosus, hip adductors, quadriceps, extrinsic/intrinsic foot muscles.

  • demonstrate how exercise affects trigger points in these muscles.
  • protocol for rehabilitating the TrP affected muscle.
  • how stress, over-use, trauma and skeletal abnormalities affect TrPs.

Lunch 1.0 hour

 

Hands-on; 2.5 hours

Morton Foot and Intrinsic/Extrinsic Foot Muscles.

  • identifying Morton’s Foot Structure (MFS),
  • demonstrate simple and effective corrective orthotic use for MFS
  • TrPs that may be causal to chronic foot or toe pain

Review – Intake/assessment and applied treatment techniques

 

Questions/Summary/Certificates/Evaluations 1.0 hour

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