Trigger Point Therapy Workshops

For the Self-Treatment and Clinical Treatment of Pain

Amber Davies, LMT, NCTMB is a contributing author of The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, written by her father, Clair Davies. Amber Davies presents a fully hands-on seminar for practitioners interested in mastering location, palpation, and treatment of myofascial trigger points. Massage therapists, personal trainers, osteopaths, chiropractors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, and medical doctors are invited to participate.

Trigger Point Therapy Workshops is approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) as a continuing education Approved Provider.

Special note to folks in pain

Phone and e-mail consultations are not being done at this time for the reasons stated above. Thank you for your patience; we wish we could do more for you right now. Keep reading and using the workbooks.

For the time being, Amber is not taking new clients at her office in Louisville, Kentucky.

Please note that we do not have the resources to refer you to a therapist in your area. Therapists can be found through several websites including the following:
               NeuroMuscular Therapy Training
               St. John NeuroMuscular Therapy Seminars
               Precision NMT
               National Association Of Myofascial Trigger Point Therapists
               International MYOPAIN Society
               Orthopedic Massage Education and Research Institute
Also call local massage schools for referrals to skilled massage and neuromuscular therapists in your area. Most therapists have been trained in the “press and hold” method of trigger point therapy. That's okay; just communicate about the level of pressure you need. More pain is not necessarily better therapy! A quality therapist will always welcome your participation in your own healing.

Workshops for 2009

We are not planning any workshops for 2009. Send an email to Amber at adavies@iglou.com to get on the mailing list for future events. Again, please check back here for updated information.

Workshop participants who are in need of certification information are welcome to
call 502-895-6833 or email Amber Davies at adavies@iglou.com.

Class Descriptions

Introduction to Trigger Point Therapy

This class will give you a start on finding and treating trigger points throughout the body. Self-treatment and the treatment of clients will both be explored, hands-on. This course is NOT required as a prerequisite to the Upper and Lower Body Workshops.

Upper Body Workshop

In this class, you will learn how to treat trigger points that cause such common pain complaints as headaches, neck and face pain, TMJ dysfunction, upper and mid back pain, thoracic outlet syndrome, frozen shoulder, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, etc.

Lower Body Workshop

In this class, you will learn how to treat trigger points that cause such common pain complaints as low back pain, abdominal pain, sciatica, many variations of hip and knee pain, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, etc.

Class Format

At the beginning of class, everybody will fill out a pain chart. During the first part of the day, Amber will show you how to find and treat your own trigger points in the parts of the body being studied.

We believe it’s important to learn self-treatment first. The skill you develop in finding and treating trigger points on your own body helps build an intuition that tells you just exactly what to do when troubleshooting and treating your clients’ pain problems. In mastering self-treatment, you discover precisely what works and what doesn’t.

In the last half of each day, during the clinical part of the program, Amber will demonstrate how to work with your clients’ pain, using what you’ve learned about trigger point therapy on yourself. After each demonstration, you go hands-on with the other participants, under Amber’s continued guidance, to practice what you’ve learned.

At every turn throughout the workshop, you will be shown safer and more effective techniques that will help keep you out of pain in both self-treatment and clinical work. A special forearm and hand self-treatment session will be included each day to help relieve pain from previous strain.

The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, 2nd edition, by Clair Davies, is our study guide. If you’d like to take a look at the book before registering for the workshop, you can find it for $21.95 in all major bookstores, including Barnes & Noble, Borders Books and Music, and Books-a-Million. Or you can order a copy online at Amazon.com. You will need to bring your own copy of the book to the workshop. It’s helpful to have read at least the first 3 chapters in advance of the class.

In addition to the workbook, please bring sheets and massage creme. If not flying to the class, please bring your massage table if you're able. Participants should wear loose-fitting, casual clothing.

Note that we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical ability, sexual or gender orientation, or age. Accommodations will be available in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Workshop Participant Testimonials

“I learned more in two days than in three months doing practical massage in school. Massage therapists really need your information.” —A.B., Schertz, Texas

“Best workshop I’ve ever been in. Learning can still be fun!” —K.L., Ledbetter, Texas

“This workshop would be a good value at twice the price. Now I know what to do with Travell and Simons!” —P.C., Perrysville, Ohio

“Comfortable atmosphere. Instructors were easily approachable and genuinely interested in teaching the techniques and making sure everyone received the attention they needed.”
—L.W., Tecumseh, Michigan

“Best continuing education I have ever attended.” —R.S., Hixson, Tennessee

“I will recommend this workshop to every therapist I know and all I come in contact with. Your teaching methods allow for a very relaxed learning situation. Thank you so much!”
—J.T., Centerville, Ohio

“It was a good refresher in anatomy and an encouragement to pay closer attention to it.” —O.H., Columbus, Ohio

“Excellent workshop, much better than most I have attended.” —D.I., Madison, WI

“Awesome! Great class! Material presented well. Well explained.” —E.S., Greenfield, WI

“You have fanned my fire! I thank you both for putting so much work into presenting this stuff, especially Clair for the book. You have bridged a wide gap by simplifying Travell and Simons’s Trigger Point Manual!” —C.P., Sheboygan Falls, WI

“I am so happy I took this workshop! I’m looking forward to putting it into practice.”
—D.C.B., Eugene, Oregon

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to participate in this workshop. Well done! I look forward to new opportunities to share what I learned with others. I enjoyed every minute!” —E.H., Surrey, British Columbia

“I think that this may be the most important massage-related workshop I will ever take. Many of my clients are injured and in serious pain. I think your method will enable me to give them much better relief.” —S.B., Beaverton, Oregon

“Helped me feel much more comfortable working on some specific parts of the body that I felt unsure of before —like the scalenes, sternocleidomastoid and psoas. Really good educational experience. Much success to you both!” —C.H., Portland, Oregon