Find Muscle Therapy Practitioners near you

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FAQs:

What is Muscle Therapy?

Muscle therapy is a form of musculoskeletal treatment that treats the body as a whole but at the same time targets specific injuries to give you the most beneficial form of treatment available. Muscle therapy also incorporates rehabilitation exercises and stretches to rebalance the body and prevent the injury from returning. Muscle Therapy is a form of treatment that has been developed by Garry Luke. It utilizes functional movement-based techniques, deep tissue massage, trigger point therapy, myofascial release, dry needling, and corrective exercise to get you out of pain and your body performing at its best.

What is the Difference Between Muscle Therapy and Massage Therapy?

Massage therapy is used to manipulate soft tissues in the body including joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. It helps reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety and stabilizes the client’s mood. In contrast, muscle therapy is used on people who experience pain or lack of motion resulting from a strain or a critical event such as an accident. It helps an individual manage an existing condition and increase the range of motion. Muscle therapy could also be used to provide daily exercises and education in injury prevention. It may help minimize inflammation and increase the circulation of blood to the soft tissues.

What Is Muscle Manipulation Therapy?

Muscle manipulation therapy is a specialized technique that can provide instant relief from acute and chronic pain. It involves the application of sensitive touch and feels as well as positioning techniques that attempt to change the position of muscles in the body, as they are used in rehabilitation after a head injury or tendon transplant, for example. Tendons play a very important role in the body. They not only hold the bones together but are also crucial for keeping the muscles in the right position. The fibers and ligaments can be replaced in many ways, e.g., through muscle manipulation or physical therapy techniques.

What is a Muscle Therapist?

The Muscle Therapist is a skilled health professional who has the knowledge, skills, and ability to apply treatment principles to maximize performance, preparation, and injury prevention programs. In addition, they will provide immediate care for chronic and acute injuries, rehabilitate and refer one for specialist advice and intervention when required. They will also provide appropriate soft tissue interventions in a clinical environment. Furthermore, they will plan and implement appropriate rehabilitation and return to training/work programs. 

How Much is Muscle Therapy?

Muscle therapy sessions use more trigger point techniques including some neuromuscular therapy. Because of this reason, they tend to be priced higher than massage therapy. On average, muscle therapy is estimated at $100 per hour and may vary by state or region. Urban areas are generally pricier because of the higher costs of operations. You can always call a few therapists who offer similar services to compare their prices and other details you might require.

What is Muscle Pain?

Muscle pain, or myalgia, is a sign of an injury, infection, disease, or other health problem. You may feel a deep, steady ache or random sharp pains. Some people have muscle pain all over, while others have it in specific areas. Everyone experiences muscle pain differently.

Who Might Get Muscle Pain?

People of all ages and genders can have sore muscles. When you try a new physical activity or switch up your exercise routine, you may experience delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Muscle aches may come on six to 12 hours after a workout and last up to 48 hours. You feel pain as the muscles heal and get stronger.

What Does Massage Do To Muscles?

Massage stretches muscles transversely as well as lengthways, which allows scar tissue, adhesions, and fascia surrounding muscles to loosen or break down -  this can both help in muscle repair as well as releasing muscle tension. Manipulation of muscles through massage techniques can help to reduce tightness and improve the flexibility of the muscle.

What is Manual Muscle Therapy?

Manual Muscle Therapy is a hands-on approach to addressing muscle and soft tissue issues in the body. It involves identifying areas of tension or imbalance and using techniques like massage, stretching, and joint mobilization to help alleviate pain and improve range of motion.

What Muscle Pain Therapy Can Treat

Physiotherapeutic muscle therapies can alleviate symptoms and restore function, and movement, and aid in the resumption of normal activities such as work and sports. Research indicates muscle therapies are effective at treating:

- Chronic/subacute back pain

- Delayed onset muscle soreness

- Pain and dysfunction in various body parts

- Muscle spasms

- High blood pressure

- Fascia restriction

- Soft tissue injuries

It can also help with psychological issues such as stress and anxiety.

Types of Muscle Therapy Techniques

Here are a variety of muscle therapy techniques, including:

1. Dry needling – Using acupuncture needles, this is an extremely effective technique for relaxing overactive muscles which contain trigger points, helping to relieve muscle pain and myofascial dysfunction.

2. Myofascial release – The fascia is a web of connective tissue that covers and connects the muscles, organs, and bones in our body. This technique involves manually stretching the fascia, which can become restricted following injury, stress, trauma, or poor posture.

3. Trigger point therapy – This involves applying pressure to tender muscle tissue to relieve pain and dysfunction in other body parts, focusing on active centers of muscular hyperactivity which are sometimes in the same place as acupuncture points and areas with muscle knots.

4. Gua sha – This involves scraping your skin with a special tool to stimulate microcirculation of the soft tissue, increasing blood flow, improving circulation, and helping to address health issues like chronic pain.

5. Kinesio taping – Therapeutic kinesiology taping is designed to provide support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting movement while the body heals. It also provides extended soft tissue manipulation to prolong the benefits of manual muscle therapy.

Different Types of Muscle Therapy

The different types of muscle therapy include electronic muscle stimulation, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator, physical therapy, and massage therapy. Muscle therapy is used as a muscle treatment to combat muscle pain and help with pain management. Often muscle therapy is required when an injury has occurred and is typically used to help prevent more serious treatment such as surgery.

1. Electronic muscle stimulation (EMS) is a type of muscle therapy that involves sending an electrical impulse directly to the affected muscle to make it contract. The EMS device has electrodes that can be attached to the patient's skin via a small patch. When the device is turned on, the patient receives a small electrical impulse and the muscle will move similar to its natural movement and strengthens the muscle. EMS is most often used in patients who have suffered an injury that requires rehabilitation but is also used by some athletes for training purposes.

2. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) is another type of muscle therapy that uses electrical stimulation. TENS works by sending an electrical pulse through the nerves of the central nervous system, which activates receptors. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is used specifically for pain management and is not used to strengthen muscles but instead helps to ease contracted muscles. Typically TENS is used in patients who suffer from osteoarthritis or severe musculoskeletal pain.

3. Physical therapy is used as a form of muscle therapy in patients suffering from either neurological or orthopedic conditions. A physical therapist will work with the patient by manually moving the legs, arms, or spine so the person can increase strength and mobility. Often physical therapy involves manipulating the muscles by having the patient grasp handballs or work with balance balls to regain mobility.

4. Massage therapy is a type of muscle therapy used for chronic pain management most often associated with repetitious activities. Some examples include the muscles in the neck that get stiff due to performing desk duties several hours per day or a sore back due to heavy lifting. Massage therapists reduce the pain by massaging the affected muscles. Therapists are trained on how much pressure to apply and how firmly to massage the muscles to loosen muscle constriction and provide pain relief. By receiving regular muscle therapy through massage, patients may be able to avoid having to take regular pain medication and may also improve their ability to perform their daily jobs.

What Happens During Muscle Therapy

The muscle therapist identifies taut and tender fibers, adhesions, and restrictions that are causing pain and discomfort.  The muscle therapist can reduce trigger points (also called knots) that cause pain and discomfort in your muscles. Your muscles naturally produce lactic acid as a result of poor posture, repetitive motion activities, and compensation due to injuries.   If the lactic acid does not get flushed out of the body it binds together to form a trigger point (tender spot).  These trigger points can be painful and can limit your ability to perform certain activities.  Your muscle therapist will break up the lactic acid and flush it out of the body, thus reducing the pain and stiffness in the muscle.  It is usually after a trigger point becomes painful that most people resort to muscle therapy.

Sources:

Muscle Therapy Australia

North Bridge Chiro

Archetype

Garrow Wellness Center

Horn Family Chiro

The Health Board

Natural Care Chiropractic

Maple Clinics

Cleveland Clinic

Sense Massage Therapy

 

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 (in the United States) immediately.