Headaches Archives

Headaches

Dr. Stoll, I am new to your site and am impressed by its depth. Am now trying the GRJ for GERD/esophagitis and am thrilled it is working. I plan to get back to you maybe for the coaching, but wanted to post some info first about headache and other chronic pain problems. After fifteen years of chronic tension headaches doused with aspirin (hence in part the GERD!) I found an easy solution hardly ever mentioned in the health community. I mention it here since I have not seen it referenced at your site.

For over forty years, Janet Travell (personal physician to JFK) did research on trigger points or small areas of muscle "stuck" in a contracted state as a result of any kind of stress or abuse. They are unable to release and accumulate toxins as well as becoming starved for nutrients.
She succeeded in mapping these points throughout the body and demonstrated how they cause chronic pain, often referred to other parts of the body, thus confusing many diagnoses. They can also be active or latent (not causing noticeable pain unless pressed directly). I was absolutely amazed to discover many of these points in myself and could not believe 1) how excruciatingly painful they could be, though I was totally unaware of them until pressed and 2) how several of them in the neck, shoulders and back referred definite pain to the very areas of my headaches. Relief can be found almost instanty or over a short period of time by kneading these points to break up the contractions. It is truly amazing and so simple!

Physiotherapists have traditionally worked on trigger points, but a WONDERFUL new book has been written for lay people by a fellow pain sufferer who went to massage school at age 60 just to become proficient in this after helping himself. It tells all about trigger points and then details with text and pictures all parts of the body and how to work the trigger points yourself. The book is "The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook" by Clair Davies.

This has done wonders for me, and I can't imagine why more in the health community are not aware of it. I highly recommend anyone with chronic pain to try this approach. Certainly not all pain is due to this, but I am convinced there are an awful lot of misdiagnoses out there when this is the problem, and an easy one to solve at that. I believe this therapy also goes hand-in-hand very well with SR. Would welcome your comments.

Kathy C.

Follow Ups:

• Re: Headaches (Archive in headache.) Walt Stoll 09:40:38 9/21/01 (1)
  • Re: Headaches (Archive in headache.) I agree Dr. Stoll Kathy C. 20:37:38 9/21/01 (0)

In Reply to: Headaches posted by Kathy C. on September 20, 2001 at 04:58:29:

Thanks, Kathy.

Welcome to the 'site.

ALL trigger points are caused by bracing!

Treating trigger points can result is pretty dramatic symptom relief but that does nothing about WHY the person has the problem in the first place. The permanent solution is to deal with the bracing (see the archives).

Walt

Follow Ups:

• Re: Headaches (Archive in headache.) I agree Dr. Stoll Kathy C. 20:37:38 9/21/01 (0)

In Reply to: Re: Headaches (Archive in headache.) posted by Walt Stoll on September 21, 2001 at 09:40:38:

Yes, Dr. Stoll, I ABSOLUTELY agree. I know I have been a big-time bracer all my life and now see the connection and the need to address it. Thanks for clueing me in to that. Meanwhile, as long as you have developed the trigger points, it seems to me they must be worked out along with doing the SR or you ultimately won't get the full benefits of either.
People need to know the whole picture here.
Thanks!
Kathy C.