Any form of muscle pain, joint stiffness or pain due to soft tissue injury can be treated by myotherapy. The philosophy is based on western medical procedures including anatomy, biomechanics and physiology. This type of therapy is recommended for treating, assessing and managing any kind of soreness due to soft tissue injury or constrained joint mobility. This type of problem arises due to any kind of muscle dysfunction or myofascia.

The compact tough tissue covering the bones and muscles and connecting every part of the body is called myofascia. In normal conditions, this tissue is flexible and relaxed. But due to any kind of physical trauma the myofascia becomes restricted which causes rigidity in the body. In such cases, this therapy acts like a wonder. There is no need of a referral from a doctor to get your treatment done. The symptoms of soft tissue injury are as follows:

• Intense aching
• Stiffness in muscles and sore spots (trigger points)
• Lowered joint mobility
• Numbness and stiff joints.
• Chronis prickling, tingling or ‘pins and needles’ feeling
• Unexplained fatigue

What Does This Treatment Include?

Myotherapy involves trigger point therapy and various soft tissues massages like dry needling, muscle energy technique and joint mobilization. This treatment includes the following:

• Observation of movement, tissue and gait
• Complete patient history
• Postural measurement
• Palpation of spine, musculature, peripheral joints, connective tissue and viscera.
• Clinical neurological and orthopedic tests.

Special training is given to myotherapists for detecting and treating the cause of your muscular pain. Other than these the therapies incorporate TENS, muscle stretching, cupping, and passive stretching (i.e. softly stretching the injured part through its range).

How Is It Beneficial?

A myotherapist does a careful examination of the injury by which its cause is detected and corrected. As a result, the symptoms are lessened and this in turn prevents further injury and pain. Trigger points are those areas of restricted muscle fibre which are caused by physical or emotional stress, injury or disease. This is one of the most common treatments done by a myotherapist. When these trigger points are reduced, the involving chronic pain and stress is also lessened. Other problems which are treated by this therapy are:

• Tennis elbow
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Tendonitis
• Muscle spasms
• Lower back pain, headaches and neck pains.
• Wry neck
• Muscle strains and sprains
• Contusion ‘Corky’
• RSI

How to Manage the Ongoing Treatment?

A myotherapist first asks you several questions about your symptoms, any previous medication or any prior medical history. All this information is kept strictly confidential and thus should be given correctly so that proper myotherapy can be provided. During the consultation, various tests are done to examine your reflexes and to determine whether the symptoms are myofascial.  Your therapist will provide you with all the details needed for your treatment. You may be suggested changes in your diet as well as treatments that can be done at home such as using heat and ice packs, some particular exercises and stretches related to your symptoms, some relaxation and self-administered massage procedures and also meditation.

Your therapist will also try to find out other factors which contributes to your condition like overtraining or scoliosis or poor posture and thus will recommend you ways to lower or avoid actions which worsens the symptoms. In some cases where there is no way to cure the problem permanently like arthritis or age-related issues, the therapist will employ a pain management training which may refer to other health advisors. It is beneficial to get yourself treated by a Myotherapist if need arises.