What is Myotherapy?
Myotherapy vs Physiotherapy and Massage
Although Myotherapy has been around for a while now it is still relatively unknown in Queensland. If a Queenslander asks me what I do for a living I know they will not know when I say ‘I am a Myotherapist.’ It is always refreshing to talk to someone from Victoria where Myotherapy is more well known. So let’s explore what myotherapy is and where it fits in, in comparison with other therapies.
My journey to Myotherapy started with a Cert IV in Relaxation massage. I was originally on a path that would take me to uni to study physiotherapy but since I had made a decision to change careers in March I was still 9 months away from a new academic year and I was looking for something else to study. I decided to study remedial massage as I thought that would be beneficial to my eventual career as a physiotherapist. Here is some information on the Cert IV of Relaxation Massage and the Diploma of Remedial Massage
Relaxation Massage
Minimum qualification: Certificate IV in Massage Therapy
Techniques: Swedish massage, long strokes, kneading, friction, tapping, percussion, vibration, effleurage, and shaking motions, hot stone massage, trigger point therapy, stretching.
What can they treat? Pain and stress.
Where do they work? Day spas, hotels, relaxation massage clinics.
When should I see a relaxation massage therapist? When you are feeling tired, sore and a bit stressed.
Relaxation massage is designed to make you feel good. It is mostly focused on relaxing areas of the body and is not very specific in its approach.
Remedial Massage
Minimum qualification: Diploma of Remedial Massage
Techniques: All Cert IV techniques plus orthopaedic assessments, postural analysis, mobilisations, dry needling, cupping, MET and PNF stretching.
What can they treat? Pain, injury, musculoskeletal dysfunction.
Where do they work? Massage clinics, physio clinics, chiro clinics, sports teams.
When should I see a remedial massage therapist? When you are experiencing ongoing pain or have received an injury. Regular remedial massage is also very beneficial to maintain pain free movement, especially in athletes.
Remedial massage starts to look at treating symptoms not just pain. It can often be referred to as ‘sports massage’ or ‘deep tissue massage’. A much better understanding of anatomy and the ability to perform orthopaedic tests means that remedial massage therapists are more likely to find the cause of your pain and not just treat the symptoms. Remedial massage is also claimable on private health insurance.
When I finished my Diploma of Remedial Massage the college that I was studying at, Q Academy, were offering a new course, the Advanced Diploma of Myotherapy. Here is some information about Physiotherapy and Myotherapy.
Physiotherapy
Minimum qualification: Bachelor of Physiotherapy
Techniques: Soft tissue massage, mobilisation, orthopaedic testing, manipulation, gait analysis, postural analysis, dry needling, corrective exercise, TENS, ultrasound, strapping, taping, can refer for images and scans (X-ray, CT, MRI)
What can they treat? Pain, injury, musculoskeletal dysfunction, autoimmune disorders, pathologies, chronic issues.
Where can they work? Physio clinics, multimodality clinics, hospitals, sports teams, aged care facilities.
When should I see a physiotherapist? When you are experiencing ongoing pain, have received an injury, experiencing restrictions in movement, rehabilitation from surgery, recovery from illness, to maintain symmetry and strength in movement.
Physiotherapists have a high level of knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pathologies and dysfunctions. Their extensive range of assessments and orthopaedic tests give them great ability to diagnose and treat your pain. Physiotherapists assess very thoroughly to discover what is causing your pain or dysfunction and use hands on treatment as well as a home exercise program to get the best result. Physiotherapy is claimable on private health insurance.
Myotherapy
Minimum qualification: Advanced Diploma of Myotherapy
Techniques: Soft tissue massage, mobilisation, orthopaedic testing, gait analysis, postural analysis, dry needling, corrective exercise, TENS, ultrasound, strapping, taping.
What can they treat? Pain, injury, musculoskeletal dysfunction, chronic issues.
Where can they work? Massage clinics, physio clinics, chiro clinics, sports teams.
When should I see a myotherapist? When you are experiencing ongoing pain, have received an injury, experiencing restriction in movement, to maintain symmetry and strength in movement.
I made the decision that becoming a Myotherapist would allow me to chase my dream of working with elite athletes and decided not to continue on the path to physiotherapy. Myotherapy fits between remedial massage and physiotherapy. Myotherapist have a higher qualification than remedial massage therapists (RMT’s) but do not do 4 years study like physiotherapists. They have a better understanding of anatomy, physiology and injury then RMT’s and more techniques that they can use to treat. Myotherapy is focused on functional movement, which is, making sure that people are moving the way that their bodies were designed to move.
I graduated from my Advanced Diploma of Myotherapy in March 2015. Since then I have continued to learn and focused my energy on exercise and rehabilitation of elite athletes. The more I learn the more my passion grows for helping people get the most out of their bodies. My treatments have now become more focused on helping my clients move better through exercises, while still using soft tissue techniques like massage and dry needling where necessary.
I’d love to work with you to achieve your goals. Whether that is reducing pain, increasing movement, recovering from injury or ensuring you are getting the most out of your body to help you perform better.
If you would like to book an appointment click here. Or if you would like more information contact me at brett@excelsiorsports.com.au