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The author’s interest in massage therapy began with an industrial accident in 2006 when he was twenty-one. Injury to his lower back and the resulting surgery brought a dire prospect: being confined to a wheelchair for life. Instead, he practiced martial arts and pursued a diploma in massage therapy, putting his life back on track. Earning a black belt also gained him respect from his peers. Vas-Don’s motive for publishing this book came from discovering the complexity of massage, anatomy, trigger points, and referral pain patterns. He decided to create one, easy-to-use resource that distilled vast amounts of information into a ninety-page book.There are three sections: range of motion and testing charts, origin and insertion charts, and charts with illustrations indicating trigger point referral of pain. Sub-sections arrange the charts according to muscle groups including feet, ankles, legs, back, abdomen, hands, arms, shoulders, neck, and head.
Although the content clarity of the book would be improved by adhering to industry standards for text editing and consistently formatted navigational tools such as section headings, creating this book of charts was a commendable undertaking. In fact, while the targeted audience is the therapist or student, even a lay person can easily use this book. For example, if a person wishes to know if the cause of his head pain is sinus-related, he can use the trigger point referral headache chart and glossy, colored reference pictures beginning on page 86. By simply pressing a trigger point on the body (indicated by an ‘X’ on the illustration), he can then locate that reference number in the appropriate chart row for an explanation regarding the extent of the referred pain. The author has fulfilled his goal of simplifying access to important health information with this helpful book.