Dreamtime

Brook Cheng

Brook Cheng, PhD Founder of Neural Modulation Medicine (NMM)™ Transforming status quo clinicians into a sharpshooter doctor, 3-seconds homeostatic healer || Author of the NMM™ Protocols.

September 17, 2025

“Before I became a chiropractor, I read many books about chiropractic.”

Says Stephen Kaufman, an American chiropractic doctor who graduated L.A.C.C. in 1978, and practices in Denver, CO. Kaufman recalled what he experienced in the earlier time in his career (Kaufman S, 2008).

A Hopeless Fantasy

“My limited understanding (a fantasy, really) was that chiropractors put some kind of secret pressure on spinal nerves that turned off pain instantly. After going to dozens of chiropractors and practicing for many years, I realized that this was, indeed, a hopeless fantasy.

“I never saw anything that consistently turned off pain by utilizing spinal nerves.”

“When I was in school, I saw many students getting adjusted every day, sometimes several times a day, and yet they STILL had constant chronic pain. I myself had chronic neck and low back pain, in spite of frequent chiropractic treatment. Although I've seen many patients helped by chiropractic care, many more were not, at least not long term.”

Trigger-points & Myofascial Pain

The hypothesis “trigger points (TrPs) cause myofascial pain” established by Travell J et al in 1990s has become a religion to many clinicians specialized in musculoskeletal medicine, such as osteopathy, physiotherapy and chiropractic. But to date, no reliable clinical benefits from this holy theory have been identified yet as to be significantly superior to the interventions without using TrPs.

Travell et al defined TrPs as spots where tiny taut bands or tiny muscle nodule can be felt and appear to be located at motor plates of the muscle (Travell & Simon, 1999). But few clinicians or researchers could "accurately", consistently, or confidently find them. More importantly, using such TrPs to guide dry needling or massage brought no therapeutic benefits significantly more than non-TrP guided DN /massage, or control (no treatment) or usual care does.

A Chiropractor's Heretic TrPs

By ignoring what the bible books are saying, Kaufman defined trigger-point as “A trigger point is an area in a muscle that's painful when pressed; it very often causes a patient's pain or other symptoms”. This definition does not limit the points to motor end plate only, and neither requires the existence of cramped muscle nodule. Kaufman wrote (2008):

• I always wondered if there weren't something like a "magic switch" that could turn off trigger points and the pain they cause like a light. In 1989 I set out on a research project to find this "Holy Grail". The goal: find some way to easily turn off trigger points and pain on the spot, by removing the cause, using only light pressure on neurological reflexes.

• It took more than a decade, but I've now developed numerous procedures that seem to do just that, in many cases. No devices or products are involved, only soft tissue reflexes.

• I've discovered  a series of techniques that combine several simple, standard neurological reflexes that often quickly change the tone in a painful muscle, eliminating many chronic exquisitely painful areas and symptoms.

• These techniques are NOT similar to the techniques of Nimmo, Travell, Rolfing, deep tissue work, strain counter strain, or any other method of treating trigger points or "myofascial release" procedures!

A Miracle Gentle Touch with Finger Tips

Kaufman described a few amazing characteristics of his technique:

• Gently, with only  your finger tips, almost no pressure whatsoever, completely painlessly!

• Do YOU have chronic pain from years of practicing your technique? These techniques are gentle enough for 90 year old patients, easy enough for 90 year old doctors to perform!

• No machines, lasers, or instruments to buy! These techniques are NEW, and NOT similar to the techniques of Nimmo, Travell, strain counter strain, or any other method of treating trigger points or "myofascial release" procedures!

• NO muscle testing of any kind!

• Provides rapid pain relief for many patients (not all, of course)!

Instant Effect, Albeit With Some Uncertainty

With Kaufman's non-bible trigger point techniques, instant pain relief were possible as shown in the hundreds of positive testimonials provided on his website. The only thing is that the successful rate is unknown.

As the Disclaimer at his website goes:

• Our general impression is that most doctors find the techniques easy to learn and apply from watching the DVDs, and easy on the doctor. Many of their patients with chronic and acute pain will show improvement from these techniques.

• A few doctors are not able to successfully apply the techniques, and they don’t see improvement in their patients. Some patients do not respond at all. We’re always eager to for our students to give us feedback on the results they’re getting.

• These testimonials are our best cases and may not be typical; your results will vary. We have not verified the statements of any of the practitioners.

Although Kaufman's amazing fingertips might not have achieved a highly consistent success rate, his findings helps us to see the bible theory in a wider perspective.

"Trigger Points" in Ancient Chinese Acupuncture

The definition of trigger point by Kaufman actually represented a small portion of the acupuncture points used in ancient acupuncture in China. This ancient acupuncture was magically effective and reliable. It was performed in the form called Miu-Ci, as described in a 2000 years-old Chinese medicine classic Huangdi Neijing. I call it Neijing acupuncture.

Kaufman's “trigger points” seem to be limited to muscles. But in Miu Ci, the needle insertion was not limited to muscles, but can be inserted anywhere on the body including skin, tendons, ligaments, bones, joints and fascia in addition to muscles.

Let me make it further clearer: in Neijing acupuncture, anywhere on the body can become a TrP as defined by Kaufman, case by case.

When A Caged Bird Broke Loose

As mentioned earlier, the focus of bible books' trigger point theory on motor end plates in muscles created a tiny cage which enclosed the bible author themselves and their followers, and directed everyone's attention away from many other possible explanations of myofascial pain phenomenon, and the pain at skin, ligaments, bone and joints...

Kaufman's newly defined “trigger points” and his amazing findings demonstrated what will happen when a caged bird broke loose ...

A Food for Thought

“Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts…The experts who are leading you may be wrong…” says Richard Feynman, Nobel prize winner Quantum Physicist (Feyman F, 1999).

Feyman's words may remind us of the advancement in physical science, which has enabled us to send a man to moon, to get all information, knowledge gained by human beings at each individual's fingertips (accessible anytime you like including this moment you are reading my post). His words is giving researchers and clinicians in musculoskeletal pain medicine a food for thought.

References

Feynman R, The Pleasure of Finding Things Out” p:187. 1999

Grant Radermacher, 2021, The Crazy, Unadulterated History of Chiropractic & Spinal Manipulation. https://ascentchiropractic.com

Ingraham P, Trigger Point Doubts. Sep 2, 2023. www.painscience.com

Kaufman S. How to Use Spinal Nerves to Turn Off Pain Instantly! 2008 https://theamericanchiropractor.com

Kaufman S, How Pain Signals Travel to Your Brain, and How to Block Them In Seconds. Permanently.2008. www.painneutralization.com

Mense S, Simons DG, Russell IJ. Muscle pain: understanding its nature, diagnosis and treatment. 2000.

Travell J et al, Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual. 2nd ed.1999.

#painrelief #chiropactic #chiropractor #triggerpoints #fantacy #spinalmanipulation