In my opinion, treating our own TrP’s is pretty difficult; however, it can offer some short-term relief until the issue of pain and dysfunction—caused by muscular-imbalances—is addressed as a whole, by a trained professional. I say this because I have my own issues and find it hard to help myself most of the time—and this is what I do for a living.
There are so many options out there on the World Wide Web… From stretching techniques to tools galore. But what works and what doesn’t? Unfortunately, I can not really answer that question, but I can offer up the following information based on my own experiences, and those of my clients after hearing their experience with the suggestions I have expressed over the years.
With that said, I would like to bring to your attention an Electronic Self Care Manual that was created by Doug Alexander and his team at TouchU, located in Ontario, Canada. I had the pleasure of somewhat-meeting Doug via e-mail a couple of years ago, and through corresponding with him, I luckily ended up with this awesome manual (the above image is just one page out of 73) at my finger tips; handing out particular portions to my clients as a professional courtesy. This manual happens to be full of great advice; including information on types of injuries, stretching exercises (yes, with pictures), breathing techniques, postural improvements, etc. This .pdf is available to both therapists and non-therapists. If you are not a client of mine, please contact TouchU directly for a copy. If you are a client of mine, there is no need to contact them directly as I have it readily available for you.
In regards to tools for self-care, one I highly recommend is the Original Backnobber II, made by The Pressure Positive Co. My husband, and every client I have recommended this to, loves it. I have several clients that even take it with them during business trips because it breaks down into two pieces, making it easy to put in their carry-on luggage. Another great tool from this company is the Knobble II. I have actually laid right on top of this as a way to address TrP’s that I have had in my back, shoulder blades, etc.
Well, folks… That’s all for now. This was a pretty short post, but I hope you still found the information informative!
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“Neutral balance alignment is key to becoming pain free!”™ ~ Me