MYOTHERAPY

Myotherapy is a form of muscle therapy which focuses on the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal pain and associated conditions.

What is a Myotherapist?

A Myotherapist is a primary care Allied Health professional who has completed a University degree in Health Science. Myotherapists are expertly trained in a wide range of orthopaedic, neurologic and functional testing to gain a thorough understanding of their client’s physical state. This training enables them to treat a large variety of muscle and joint related conditions, and allows them to identify and treat the exact cause of their client’s pain and not just the symptom.

What conditions can a Myotherapist help with?

A myotherapist can help manage a wide variety of acute and chronic muscular and joint related conditions such as:

Tension headaches and migraines
Lower back pain (disc bulges etc)
Neck and shoulder pain
Sports injuries
RSI injuries
Fibromyalgia
Work related injuries
Degenerative joint pain (arthritis)
Post surgical pain (post joint replacement / reconstructive surgery)
Pre and postnatal pain
Electrotherapy (TENS)

What can you expect from a Myotherapy treatment?

Your session will involve an assessment of your presenting condition and complaint and a treatment will then be tailored to meet your specific needs.

Myotherapists use a variety of treatment techniques, these may include:

Dry needling
Cupping
Electrotherapy (TENS)
Remedial Massage
Trigger Point Therapy

If I'm not in pain should I still see a Myotherapist?

Absolutely! Myotherapists will help maintain the body to allow for optimal functioning, allowing you to move and feel your best. Ongoing maintenance treatment will allow you to feel and move the best that you can. We all service our cars regularly… So why not service the body too? Remember… prevention is ALWAYS better than cure!

Can I claim with my health fund?

Yes, all Myotherapists are registered and recognised with all major health funds, meaning you can claim on the spot if you have private health insurance. Just be sure to bring along your private health insurance card to your appointment.

What is the difference between a Massage therapist and a Myotherapist?

As both massage therapy and myotherapy are massage based treatments it can be confusing what the difference is and what each therapy can offer. Please see the below table for primary differences.

	Remedial Massage	Myotherapy
Description	Hands on manual therapy that treats dysfunction (tension, stiffness, pain) in the muscular system	Evidence based extension of remedial massage incorporating a deeper understanding of human anatomy and physiology, holistic whole body assessment and a wider variety of treatment modalities in addition to hands on techniques
Qualifications	Diploma in remedial massage or Cert 4 in massage therapy	Bachelor degree in Clinical Myotherapy PLUS Diploma remedial massage or Cert 4 in massage therapy
Conditions / injuries	Treats a range of conditions that affect soft tissues (muscles, tendons and ligaments)	Treats underlying cause of a wide range of acute and chronic muscular and musculoskeletal conditions + considers other systems such as the nervous system and cardiovascular system. Examples include: - Musculoskeletal pain and disorders - Myofascial pain - Low back pain - Tension headaches and migraines - Sports injuries - Tendon pain - Degenerative joint pain, - Surgical rehabilitation - Advanced injury prevention
Benefits	- Release muscular tension - Improve function - Aid healing - Enhance relaxation - Improved joint mobility - Faster pain relief & recovery - Improved heart rate regulation - Reduction in depression & anxiety	- RM benefits PLUS - Improvements in overall physical health and wellbeing, function and performance
Focus	Muscular system	Holistic - considers the entire body (Muscular + skeletal) and various other systems (cardiovascular, nervous, lymphatic etc)
Assessment	Hands on treatment to identify problematic soft tissues that are damaged, knotted, tense or stiff	More in depth assessment. Examples include: - Postural analysis - Biomechanics + gait - Joint function + range of motion - Soft tissue condition - Medical history
Treatment Techniques (typical examples)	Primarily hands on and includes: - Manipulative massage techniques of soft tissues (muscles, tendons and ligaments) - Deep tissue massage - Stretch therapy - Myofasical release	Treatment includes hands on techniques in addition to other modalities such as: - Dry needling - Cupping - Taping - Joint mobilisaiton - Rehabilitative exercises - Electrotherapy (TENS) Traditional hands on treatments include: - Trigger point therapy - pressure applied to specific parts of the muscle to reduce tension - Muscle energy techniques - Myofascial release