MYOTHERAPY

Building on the technique described in Pain Erasure: The Bonnie Prudden Way (1980), this latest guide incorporates trigger-point therapy into an overall exercise and stress-reduction framework. As Prudden previously described, painful trigger-points at the center of muscle spasms (usually a result of acute injury or chronic tension due to stress) can be relaxed by applying direct pressure. Here, she further refines the technique. The body is divided into various ""zones,"" where such trigger points are commonly found: those in the head and neck cause many so-called tension headaches; more unusual are those in the groin and upper thigh, to be found in dancers and some athletes. Readers can ""map"" their own bodies (or others') to determine individual trouble spots. Prudden again fully explains the technique of myotherapy: direct pressure with one or two fingers, or a knuckle, will dissolve the muscle spasm; the only documented side-effect is occasional slight bruising. After providing this ""quick fix,"" Prudden details sensible exercise and stretching programs to eliminate the problem. All this is set out in Prudden's familiar, forthright style--with case studies aplenty. (Among them is pianist Leon Fleisher, enabled by myotherapy to resume his career at least briefly.) Though self-treatment requires some prior study, this is careful, practical advice for restoring muscle tone and relieving chronic pain.