Myotherapy

What is myotherapy?

Myotherapy is a form of therapy that focuses on trigger points in the body (its more commonly known name is trigger point therapy). Trigger points are not the same points that are used in acupressure, but are physical points in the body that cause pain and can be felt by touch. They are very common and are also commonly known as muscle knots.

There are two types of trigger points: active and latent. An active trigger point hurts without being touched and if it is pressed, it will send the pain to another part of the body. Latent trigger points only hurt when they are touched and they will not send the pain elsewhere in the body.

How does a person develop trigger points that will need to be treated with myotherapy?

There can be many causes for trigger points in a person’s body. They may have an injury caused by a car accident, a fall, or many other situations. It may be something that was caused at birth, or it could be something that developed over time (an example of this is poor posture or other long-term strains on muscles). Trigger points that require myotherapy treatment can also be caused by chronic illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

What are the benefits of myotherapy?

The most obvious and instantaneous benefit of myotherapy is pain relief, but there are many more benefits that can be achieved over time with myotherapy, including the following:

Increased range of motion
More flexibility
Better circulation
Reduced stiffness

The above benefits all take time and several treatments. This is because multiple treatments help to teach the muscles how to move without causing as much pain.

What happens during myotherapy?

During a myotherapy session, the practitioner will apply pressure to many areas of the body. This might be slightly painful because the muscle tissue that the therapist will be applying pressure to will be very tender even before treatment.

By applying this pressure, though, myotherapy can help relieve pain, even in other parts of the body. Often, myotherapy is done in conjunction with massage. The massage that is performed with the myotherapy can help to relax the patient, possibly leading to better results from the myotherapy.
While one treatment of myotherapy can provide benefits, most patients will need to receive several treatments over an extended period of time. This is the best way to achieve the optimal benefits that myotherapy has to offer.

Whether you have sustained an injury, or just seem to have developed trigger points over time, you can start enjoying the benefits of myotherapy immediately. Contact a local trigger point therapist in your area and schedule an appointment today!