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.
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

