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A Trigger Point Treatment
I have listed below, what you should expect at my office, and does not necessarily echo the techniques of other William Huhn Method™ Bodyworkers.
What to expect during your Trigger Point session with William Huhn.
We believe that being thorough when interviewing and treating our clients is just one reason why we have a high rate of success in treating soft-tissue pain and related issues. Another reason, is that we employ comprehensive Trigger Point methods.
The Time -
Your first treatment will be at least 1 hour to 90 minutes long. Subsequent treatments are about 30 minutes to one hour long, depending on the complexity of the case.
Your Appointment -
Clients are expected to be on-time for their appointment. If you are tardy, your treatment time will be reduced accordingly and the full fee will still apply.
Our schedule is full each day, and people are waiting to book their appointment time. Please, out of courtesy to others, give at least 24 hours notice for cancellation of your appointment. Less than 24 hours notice, or no-shows will be billed for the full appointment time.
The Office -
Our office is a simple treatment room - no candles or spa music... this is remedial bodywork and we are not endeavoring to create a “Zen” atmosphere. However, I can attest to a good spa-type massage (with a Zen atmosphere). It can work wonders to de-stress you... but it’s not what we do here.
You will however, find it to be clean, warm and comfortable during your treatment. You will receive your treatments either on a massage table, or if more appropriate, a massage chair. All clients receive complimentary bottled water.
There is a washroom for your convenience.
We are not wheelchair accessible at this time. However, we can arrange to travel to those with access-to-service challenges.
The Dialogue -
We'll start with a detailed interview/history; establish your chief complaint, secondary complaints (if any), medical issues, length of time that you have had the issue, activity levels, allergies and other pertinent information.
We will explain some of the ways trigger points might affect you as well as explain their referral patterns, and also talk about the effects of exercise and stretching when trigger points are present. We'll also explain how you might self-treat your involved muscles, to help expedite the healing process. (Not everyone is keen on self-treatment... so we won’t insist on it.) However, we hope you will follow our recommended Trigger Point protocol that is so very important for the involved muscles to heal.
Dress Code -
Every client has their own comfort level when it comes to clothing, or no clothing during their treatment. This bodywork can be done through lightweight clothing. Some clients wear shorts and a t-shirt, while some are comfortable in their underwear or unclothed. If a client is in any state of undress, draping techniques will be used to ensure your privacy and only the area we are treating, will be exposed.
(Note: Some massage modalities are effectively employed only on bare skin and most clients likely know this before they make an appointment for these methods of massage. And though many massage and bodywork methods work best with a minimal amount of clothing... be concerned if any bodyworker or massage therapist insists on you removing all your clothing... if you feel uncomfortable, express your concerns. If they are still insistent, then you should surmise that they are not professional and you should leave and find a professional therapist/bodyworker.)
The Treatment -
The treatment is not like a “typical” massage. There will be some discomfort (sorry). We will be communicating as we work on the affected muscles; and throughout the treatment, we'll give you the names of the muscles that are problematic, and explain their function. This offers you valuable information about how your musculoskeletal body works, and can be a powerful psychological tool for your healing process.
If at any time during the treatment, you feel uncomfortable, cold, nauseous, light-headed or sore, please let us know.
There will be some pain evoked when the trigger points are compressed. But typically there should be a sense of “release” in the muscle once the trigger points have been worked on and released. We cannot promise that you will be “fixed” after one visit, however some clients do notice an improvement after the first treatment.
Fee for Services -
Payment for our services is due after each treatment is complete.
We accept cash and cheques.
Sorry, we cannot accept Debit or Credit Cards at this time.
If you prefer, prepayment can be completed through PayPal (where you may use your credit card) or via email transfer.
Please contact us for treatment rates.
We also offer telephone or Skype consultations for distant inquiries.
Post Treatment -
You may have some pain at the areas that have been treated after the first visit. Or perhaps notice that you now have a new or different type of pain. This is not unusual... especially if you’ve had a long history of symptoms. It usually only lasts about a day or two and then things settle down.
There is a possibility of some bruising after the 1st session. This is not too common, but it can happen... usually if bruising occurs, it will be at the buttocks or thigh area, but it can occur elsewhere on the body.
You may feel drowsy, or tired after a treatment (common after-effect). Or you may feel energized for the rest of the day. And we have clients who say that they “sleep like a baby” through the night, after they’ve had a trigger point treatment (a pleasant possible side-effect).
You will need to drink plenty of water after your Trigger Point session. This helps flush the toxins that have been released during the treatment (your kidneys will thank you).
Moist heat is the preferred “thermal” method for the treated areas. A warm/hot bath (try some Epsom salts) is an excellent post-treatment soother for the involved muscles. It’s also a great way to de-stress at the end of the day!
Do not ice trigger points (or the muscles that have trigger points) unless we specifically tell you to do so! Icing these muscles will only serve to make things worse, by causing the muscle tissue to contract and consequently the trigger points re-forming.
Keep in mind that any type of chilling to the skin (e.g. cool air or swimming) can serve to allow trigger points to re-establish in the muscle we are treating.
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