Myotherapy
(Also Known As Clinical Myotherapy)
Musculoskeletal therapy is a branch of functional medicine focusing on the nervous system and its relationship to the function or dysfunction of the muscles and joints. Your clinician will consider what tissue is causing your pain then decipher what other parts of the body are contributing or causing your problem.
Myotherapy and Massage – What’s the difference?
Myotherapy and massage are two distinct professions, with different aims and objectives, different health fund rebates, and very different educational pathways. In common with physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors, myotherapists may use massage in their treatments, when warranted, but they also call upon a wide range of other evidence-based treatment approaches and skill-sets which in addition to manual therapy, dry needling, and thermo and electro-therapeutic techniques may include; exercise prescription and/or education about pain management, load management, activity modification and/or lifestyle modification. In common with the aforementioned allied health professions, myotherapy has it's own separate qualifications, specifically the BHSc (Clinical Myotherapy), BHSc (Myotherapy) and AdvDip (Myotherapy), which qualify practitioners to undertake evidence-based assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of patients experiencing musculoskeletal pain and associated conditions. (Myotherapy Association Australia, 2018)
What to expect?
During your initial consult your therapist will undertake a full health and physical history as well as a physical and neurological examination. A personalised treatment plan will then be developed and implemented involving hands on treatment, rehabilitation and take home advice/exercises.
Common conditions that Myotherapists can treat include:
- Sporting & occupational injuries
- Back pain
Headaches / migraines
Chronic overuse syndromes - tendonitis, RSI, tennis/golfer's elbow, carpal tunnel
Joint pain including Osteoarthritis
Acute & chronic conditions affecting function & mobility
Scoliosis / Kyphosis
Acute and chronic stiff and painful neck
Jaw pain and clicking
- Shoulder pain, impingement syndrome, frozen shoulder
- Knee, leg & foot pain – shin splints, patella tracking dysfunction, runners knee, ankle sprains
Pregnancy – pre/post natal complaints
Chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia
Pain & dysfunction associated with stress & tension
Rehabilitative stage of an injury or illness
Stroke recovery and rehabilitation
Other techniques that may be used:
- Dry needling therapy
- Electro dry needling therapy
- Joint mobilisations and desensitisations
- Nerve mobilisations and manipulations
- Electropen therapy
- Soft tissue therapy
- Exercise prescription
- Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation
- Muscle energy technique
- Mobilisations with movement
- Taping with both rigid and kinesiotape
- Rehabilitation programs