| Body Region: | Lower Leg |
| Conditions Associated with TPs: | Overuse, over exercise, trauma, Sprain / Strain |
| General Symptoms: | Painful muscles in the region, Weakness in kicking the leg forward, Pain or discomfort on walking or running |
| Common Causal Activities: | Over exercise or trauma |
| Anatomy Picture: |
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| Self Care: | Sit on the floor or in a chair with the ankle of the painful leg up and crossed on your other knee. Grip the shin bone with the fingers to help pull a double thumb post into the calf muscles or use a raised knuckle to press into the TP. Use the other hand to help press the treating hand into the TP. Using a hooked tool is good. If you can bend enough to do it you can place your elbow on the TP and lean into it for many on the front of the leg. For the back of the leg, a tennis ball for therapy is not as effective. A hook tool can do well. See Detailed Instructions. |
| Therapist Care: | The double thumb post is good. Use a hand tool with a broad tip if you can to save your fingers. Use your elbow with the other hand guiding and controlling the placement. You can use your forearm in a rocking motion across the muscles in the leg. Stand beside the patient. Place the down side of your forearm across the muscle. Clasp your hands together for support and power. Slowly roll laterally across the muscle until the patient tells you there is a TP. Continue this process throughout the muscle to save your hands and thumbs. |
| Special Notes: | This area of the body seems to be able to have many subclinical (below the pain threshold) TPs that a person is unaware of unless they are exercising. |
Click here for more detailed instructions |
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