Raymond L. Nimmo and the evolution of trigger point therapy, 1929-1986

Dr. Raymond L. Nimmo (1904-86) was the definitive chiropractic pioneer in the now widely accepted field of soft tissue and trigger point therapy. This article explores how Nimmo was able to make the radical conceptual leap from moving bones to working with muscles that move the bones. Also discussed are the neurophysiological explanations that Nimmo evolved in the 1950s for the trigger point phenomenon, formulations that are still regarded as highly sophisticated half a century later. Finally, the article describes how Nimmo, with a basic chiropractic education absent much of the background in the biological and physical sciences of today's preparation, was able to combine his clinical experiences and intellectual formulation to arrive at a theory that became widely accepted.