Muscle pain can be very debilitating and can affect the quality of your daily life. For some, muscle pain issues can be as basic as dealing with a sprained ankle that isn’t getting better. Other individuals may be struggling to get back to regular muscle use after a severe injury.
If you’re suffering from continuous muscle pain, your first course of action should be to visit the Noosa physio that many locals are turning to for pain relief. After an assessment, your physiotherapist may recommend myotherapy. What exactly is this treatment, and how will it benefit your muscle pain? Keep reading as we explore the answers.
What Exactly is Myotherapy?
The word myotherapy is derived from the Latin word for muscle (myo). This then means that myotherapy refers to long-term and short-term treatment of any stressed or injured muscles. Myotherapy is often referred to as a sports massage, but it’s essential to point out that you don’t have to have injured your muscle in a sports event to receive this treatment.
Typically applied as a remedial massage, myotherapy involves assessing and then providing treatment of the soft tissue in muscles. Damage or injury to these may be the cause of restricted movement.
Myotherapy techniques are also used to treat all forms of myofascial dysfunction. Myofascial refers to the thin and fibrous layers of tissue that surround and separate muscle. Tendons and ligaments are made of bundles of myofascial, so myotherapy will then also treat the associated dysfunction.
Understanding Various Myotherapy Techniques
Your physiotherapist will use several different non-invasive techniques to reduce and clear up any muscle pain. Some of the more common treatments and techniques are listed as:
- Remedial massage: As the most common treatment used, this specialised massage aims to treat the pain associated with deep or superficial tissue injuries. This type of massage may often be performed together with other techniques.
- Electrotherapy (TENS): For the most part, TENS is used to encourage the overall relaxation of recurring muscle spasms. Electrotherapy is also an effective treatment to boost blood circulation, which aids in muscle rehabilitation.
- Dry needling: Unlike its acupuncture counterpart, which serves to ease pain, dry needling stimulates various trigger points, causing swelling and pain.
- Cupping: Commonly used by athletes and individuals leading an active lifestyle. The process involves placing heated cups strategically on affected muscles and encourages immediate musculoskeletal pain relief.
- Trigger point therapy: Used as a massage technique, trigger point therapy targets specific pain regions and works to relieve inflamed issues and muscle knots.
All-Round Benefits to Consider
When you’re dealing with muscle pain, it can affect other aspects of your life. In addition to experiencing ongoing pain in a specific area, you may also be struggling to walk properly, sleep comfortably, and may even be suffering from stress and anxiety due to ongoing pain. We’ve highlighted the top reasons why Myotherapy is worth considering.
1. Reduces Ongoing Muscle Stiffness
Everyone experiences the occasional muscle stiffness. However, when this causes you ongoing discomfort, it’s essential to consult your physio. Common areas that may experience muscle stiffness from overuse, injury, or incorrect posture include the following:
- Neck
- Shoulder
- Knees
- Wrist
- Ankles
Several sessions of myotherapy techniques will easily loosen any stiffness around tight muscle tissue. This will ease pain and make it easier to move around. Common techniques to facilitate this include dry needling and massage, which will encourage blood flow to the injured tendons.
2. Significantly Improves Joint Movement
For your arms and legs to move and function the way they need to, healthy muscle tissue needs to cross over healthy joints. Injured or stiff muscles naturally restrict and tighten, making movement difficult and painful.
Different myotherapies work to rehabilitate soft tissue pain as well as reduce the pressure on surrounding tendons. Released pressure allows the joints to begin functioning normally again. Sports and rotator cuff muscle injuries usually benefit significantly from various myotherapy techniques.
3. Reduces Pain-Related Sleep Issues
Poor sleeping patterns are a common side effect of recurring or chronic muscle pain. This is because pressure may be being placed on the injured muscles. Restricted blood flow to pinched tendons can also increase discomfort when lying down.
Fortunately, Myotherapy techniques work well to counter this because they focus on loosening the muscles and increasing blood flow. This will then provide instant relief to the affected area. Effective treatments include cupping and massages, which boost blood circulation.
When your muscles ache less at bedtime, you are more likely to get a better night’s rest. Ongoing treatments are used to maintain pain relief, which will contribute to better sleeping patterns in the long run.
Final Thoughts
There’s no need to continue suffering from muscle ailments. Consult with your physiotherapist for an assessment to receive the benefits associated with Myotherapy. Opting for this solution will see the cause of the pain being addressed, rather than just the temporary symptom. Finding a long-term solution for your ongoing muscle pain may be closer than you think!
