Frustrating Shoulder Injury (Possible Tendinopathy)

[Dust Devil]

This is just not correct when taken as stated here.

It is consistent with sources that have expertise in trigger points.

[Dust Devil]

producing symptoms int he area of or around the area of the chief complaint, it
would be useful to attempt to treat it."

If you're suggesting that pressing on a trigger point produces the symptoms you're trying to fix, then this is not true in my experience, nor is it suggested one of the best resources on the subject, "The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook". If you find a trigger point, the only way to know if it cures a symptom is to work on it for a while.

[Dust Devil]

refer pain to a near-by region.

This is also not necessarily true, depending on your definition of "near-by". Elbow pain can be caused by trigger points in the pecs, serratus anterior or serratus posterior, which is under the shoulder blade.

[Dust Devil]

Well, perhaps I found some bad information. I've been massaging the "golf ball" in my trap, and it is very sensitive to touch. In fact, it hurts and radiates pain quite a bit after the massages. Does this sound right given your experience?

Yes, if it hurts, then you have a trigger point, although I suppose other injuries could also be painful. :-)

What I was trying to say is that trigger point, when you aren't pressing on it, likely produces pain somewhere else. My trigger point book shows the locations of 4 trigger points in the trapezius and the referred pain patterns vary...some are on the neck, jaw, temple, and a couple around the shoulder blade. They are "near by" in the sense that they're not on the foot, but the referred pain locations might be several inches away.

[Dust Devil]

Sorry for five posts in a row, but there seems to be no edit option. I had to refer back to your original post to see where your trouble was. You mentioned superior scapula. According to my book, possible locations of trigger points are

Serratus posterior superior
Supraspinatus
Infraspinatus
Subscapularis

Some of those are tricky to access.

Around the clavicle:

Sternocleidomastoid

[Will Morris]

Sorry for five posts in a row, but there seems to be no edit option. I had to refer back to your original post to see where your trouble was. You mentioned superior scapula. According to my book, possible locations of trigger points are

Serratus posterior superior
Supraspinatus
Infraspinatus
Subscapularis

Some of those are tricky to access.

Around the clavicle:

Sternocleidomastoid

Do you have any experience outside of Travell and Simons?

[Dust Devil]

Do you have any experience outside of Travell and Simons?

I am relating the experience of therapists who have used these techniques very successfully, techniques derived from Travell & Simons. I have also personally found them immensely useful in self-treating a variety of injuries over the past six years, as have many others on this forum.

The nice thing is that they don't cost money to experiment with and don't take much time, unlike physical therapy and orthopedists, which so far I've found unhelpful.

[Will Morris]

I am relating the experience of therapists who have used these techniques very successfully, techniques derived from Travell & Simons. I have also personally found them immensely useful in self-treating a variety of injuries over the past six years, as have many others on this forum.

The nice thing is that they don't cost money to experiment with and don't take much time, unlike physical therapy and orthopedists, which so far I've found unhelpful.

You are missing out on some very good literature regarding myofascial trigger points if you are using Travell and Simons as your sole source.