Regular exercise brings several benefits to the mind and body. It keeps your joints healthy and muscles strong and plays a vital role in improving your overall physical and mental well-being. Moreover, regular exercise also reduces your risk of long-term health conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, and Type II diabetes.
However, repetitive stress on your joints and muscles can lead to injury, and that is particularly a concern for athletes and sportspersons, and that's where myotherapy can help.
Let's take a closer look at what myotherapy is and how myotherapy can help an athlete.
What is Myotherapy?
Myotherapy is a form of alternative medicine therapy that involves physically manipulating muscles and joints to treat or prevent musculoskeletal problems. The approach is based on Western medical principles and has its roots in human physiology, anatomy, and biomechanics.
If you experience musculoskeletal problems, you can make an appointment with a myotherapist without getting a referral from your primary healthcare practitioner.
Techniques Involved in Myotherapy
Several techniques are involved in myotherapy, and your specific treatment will depend on your assessment. Some of the techniques that a myotherapist may use to help an athlete include the following.
- Massage including deep tissue massage to relieve the aching muscles,
- Passive stretching that involves movement of the patient’s affected body part,
- Heat or cold therapy,
- Application of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS),
- Dry needling, and
The kind of technique that your myotherapist will use to treat or prevent your health condition will depend upon the problem for which you are visiting your myotherapist.
What Kind of Problems Can Myotherapy Treat or Prevent?
Myotherapy can be used to treat a wide range of healthcare conditions, including:
- Stress injuries due to repetitive use such as shin splits or tennis elbow,
- Sports injuries,
- Several types of headaches, including tension headaches,
- Posture related pains and aches such as chronic neck and back pain,
- Certain types of joint pain, such as shoulder impingement syndrome and
- Muscle spasms and sprains.
How Myotherapy Can Help an Athlete
Myotherapy can help athletes in several ways. Using the techniques of myotherapy, athletes can enjoy the following health benefits.
- Improved blood circulation in all parts of the body,
- Enhanced joint stability and flexibility,
- Improved elimination of toxins (such as metabolic by-products including lactic acid) from the tissues that are a result of intense physical activity,
- Reduced tension in the muscles,
- Improved musculoskeletal movement,
- Reduced risk of muscular spasms and sprains due to muscle over-use or excessive repetitive use,
- Enhanced immune and neurological function and
- Improved quality of sleep aids in reducing recovery time.
Schedule Your Consultation Today!
If you are an athlete looking for a solution to all your musculoskeletal problems, get in touch with Sports & Family Chiropractic and schedule your myotherapy session today.