Dr. Janet Travell and her research partner Dr. David Simons devoted their careers to trying to understand the science of muscle knots, and sharing their knowledge with other health care professionals. Her most important publication was the “big red books,” the massive two-volume textbook, Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual (last edition published 1999). Dr. Travell served as President John F. Kennedy’s physician starting in 1961. She was the first female doctor to hold this position. Dr. Travell died in 1997. Although admirable and impressive, of course Dr. Travell probably was not perfect, and she may have become too impressed with her own ideas as her career progressed — an excellent example is described in Travell, Simons and Cargo Cult Science.