About 1 out of 6 Australians suffered from back pain in 2017, and I am unfortunately one of the affected. While over-the-counter medicines work, I have reasons to seek out myotherapy.
Six months into the therapy, I didn’t find the need to bring painkillers anymore – what a relief! So take it from a 26-year-old sufferer of back pain: myotherapy alleviates muscle pain and prevents the worst from happening.
What is Myotherapy?
Most people liken myotherapy to a spa massage. Well, myotherapy does use massage to treat muscle pain.
Yet this non-invasive treatment uses a specialized remedial massage and a host of other physical techniques to strategically and effectively resolve problems on soft tissues (i.e., tendon, ligament, muscles, and fascia).
That said, one can anticipate a lot of hand and arm (e.g., use of elbows) manipulations in a typical myotherapy session.
Myotherapy believes that pain originates in the muscles and that finding the right trigger point in the affected muscle group is key to eliminating the pain and preventing myofascial dysfunction. And just like a typical weekend massage, it does relieve stress and calm my nerves.
Why I Decided to Try Myotherapy?
The main reason had to do with my age. I fell off the stairs during my young adult years, and although I did not have fractures, I had experienced occasional bouts of back pain since then. My job sometimes requires lifting, which causes the pain to become frequent.
The idea of becoming drug-dependent at a young age scared me. My doctor recommended physical therapy that helped significantly. But I was not able to sustain the exercises given to me.
Myotherapy has successfully rehabilitated the leg injury of my friend. I have heard from her about the assisted sessions. With this, I am confident I can sustain the treatment long-term.
What Are the Benefits of Myotherapy?
No more painkillers; that is the ultimate benefit if you ask me. Besides pain management, myotherapy expedites healing and protects the body functions supported by the affected soft tissues.
If your injury has already affected your mobility, you can expect myotherapy to help you achieve normalcy.
I went on to read the host of benefits myotherapy from Australia’s Institute of Registered Myotherapists. The list includes anxiety/stress relief, reduced soreness, chronic lower back pain treatment, and even pain management of the musculoskeletal disorder, fibromyalgia.
Patients suffering from terminal diseases (e.g., multiple sclerosis and cancer) were responsive to myotherapy sessions, too. They reported more positive well-being ratings. This must be the effect of oxytocin and endorphins, the happy hormones associated with massage.
How Does It Differ from Physical Therapy?
I’ve tried both myotherapy and physical therapy. Both use hand manipulation techniques to treat muscle-related pain and injuries. But myotherapy focuses on trigger points for pain, while physical therapy utilizes exercises for mobility.
In physical therapy, I transitioned from having therapist-assisted exercises to do-it-yourself exercises. The transition is often recommended for those without significant mobility problems.
Meanwhile, in myotherapy, your sessions are all therapist-assisted, be it dry needling, passive stretching, hot and cold technique, or another technique.
Myotherapy also seeks to treat muscle and fascia pain and dysfunction, whereas physical therapy treats musculoskeletal problems at a much broader scale.
Myotherapy is considered an alternative treatment, while physical therapy can be part of medical treatment.
Is Myotherapy Ideal for Older Age Group?
The answer is an astounding yes. Myotherapy fits all ages, not just young adults like me who got scared of eventual medicine dependence for back pain. In fact, the more sedimentary your lifestyle becomes, the greater is your need for myotherapy.
The norm is for people to seek myotherapy for sprains, joint and muscle pains, poor posture, and sports and overuse injuries.
But you do not necessarily need to suffer from any of these to start enjoying the therapy’s benefits. Treat it as preventive care. You can contact my trusted clinic. Click here to visit their website.
Myotherapy is yet an evolving treatment. Choosing your myotherapy clinic wisely is important.
