Balanced Bodies

What is Myotherapy?

Myotherapy is a form of physical therapy used to treat or prevent soft tissue pain and restricted joint movement caused by muscle or myofascia dysfunction. Myofascia are the thin, fibrous sheets of tissue that surround and separate muscles. Ligaments and tendons are comprised of bundled myofascia.

Symptoms of Myofascial Pain:

• Deep and constant aching
• Muscle tightness
• Sore spots in the muscle (myofascial trigger points)
• Reduced joint mobility
• Stiff joints
• Numbness
• Recurrent tingling, prickling or pins and needles sensation
• Unexplained tiredness.

What can Myotherapy be used for?

• Overuse injury such as tennis elbow or shin splints
• Some sports injuries
• Tension headache
• Pain caused by poor posture
• Some types of chronic back pain
• Some types of joint pain, such as shoulder impingement syndrome
• Muscle sprains.

What to expect at your first myotherapy appointment

For your first appointment, take any medical test results (such as x-ray films) that relate to your condition.Your myotherapist will ask many questions about your symptoms. Tell your therapist about your medical history, including prior illness and surgery. Give them a list of all the medicines you are currently taking.

The myotherapist will examine and manipulate the affected joints and associated muscles, and test your reflexes. This initial examination is thorough and helps the myotherapist to find out if the symptoms are myofascial. The myotherapist may refer you to other healthcare professionals for further diagnosis or treatment, depending on your medical condition.

Myotherapy techniques

Treatment depends on the diagnosis. Myotherapy uses a range of techniques including:

• Massage, including sports and remedial techniques
• Gently moving the patients affected body part through its range of motion (passive stretching)
• Hot or cold therapy
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy
• Trigger point therapy
• Myofascial dry needling
• Cupping

Most patients with myofascial dysfunction will have pain relief within one to three sessions.
Each session typically lasts one hour.