What You Should Know About Myotherapy
Myotherapy is a type of Full body massage that is focused on assessing, treating, and rehabilitating musculoskeletal issues. This type of massage therapy was originally developed in the 1970s and began as a variant of trigger point massage therapy. Today, myotherapy encompasses much more than just trigger point therapy. It is used in a variety of ways and may include soft tissue massage and chiropractic style manipulation as well. Additionally, the massage therapist providing the myotherapy may also help the patient by teaching them special corrective exercises or even offering nutritional counseling. Sometimes, physiotherapy methods like TENS units, cold therapy, and heat therapy are used concurrently with myotherapy.
The First Myotherapy Appointment
In many cases, the patients who receive myotherapy do so after a sports related injury, thus it is often considered to be a form of sports massage. At your first myotherapy appointment, your massage therapist will conduct a full physical exam. The massage therapist will pay special attention to the muscles and joints that are currently causing pain, but will evaluate your body as a whole before any treatment begins. The massage therapist will usually perform your massage while you are comfortably lying on a flat table, typically face down. This type of therapy is rarely painful and, in fact, many patients find this full body massage to be very relaxing.
The Course of Treatment
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The course of treatment will depend upon your myotherapist and on your injury. It is rare for a single appointment to resolve the problem completely. Usually, you will need to have at least several appointments, typically once or twice a week. Your treatment may be interspersed with other types of healing as well. For example, your massage therapist may do a full massage one day and then perform a healing ultrasound a few days later. If your pain is protracted and severe, the massage therapist may recommend more aggressive healing techniques, for example, deeper tissue massage. Further, you may need to learn some special lifestyle adjustments that can help speed up the healing process.
Knowing when to see a massage therapist can be difficult. You need to ask your medical care provider if they think that a natural healing technique like massage can be helpful for you, and then begin therapy as soon as possible if massage is recommended. Massage can benefit your whole body not only short term, but also long term. Talk to your massage therapist about all of the physical benefits as soon as possible.
