Musculoskeletal Therapy - More than a Massage
Updated: Sep 10, 2019
Musculoskeletal therapists graduate with a Bachelor of Health Science in Musculoskeletal Therapy. Therapists can offer all the usual soft tissue techniques of a good remedial massage therapist as well as a range of advanced techniques such as Maitland’s mobilisations, Mulligan’s movement with mobilisation, muscle energy techniques, neurolymphatic techniques, dry needling, electroneedling, cupping, advanced taping and strapping, and many more.
A musculoskeletal therapy session is ideal for the client in acute or chronic pain, and / or requiring help with managing complex pathologies or rehabilitating from complex injuries or surgery. Your therapist may spend a lot of the first session in assessment – they will talk to you about what is going on, get an idea of all the factors at play, and run you through a range of physical assessments to assist in forming a relevant and effective treatment plan tailored to your needs. This is really important to ensure efficient and effective treatment, and is time and money well spent!
Most clients will need to see their musculoskeletal therapists for at least three or four sessions, over which time your therapist will work into a combination of practical hands-on treatment, therapeutic exercise instruction and lifestyle and well-being education to assist you to recover from or manage your condition. Sessions generally include a lot of involvement from clients as your therapist assesses, treats and reassesses each body tissue or area contributing to your pain. You may be treated while seated, standing, or be asked to do active exercise during your session. Many techniques can be applied with your clothes on, so we do recommend wearing active-wear to your session to allow you to move freely.
Once you have worked with your therapist to recover from or develop a good management plan for your condition, your therapist may recommend you attend the clinic on a regular long term basis to maintain the optimal state of health and well being. In this case, they may wish to continue to see your for musculoskeletal therapy, or they may suggest you return to remedial massage, relaxation massage, sports or deep tissue or any of the other modalities available at Good Vibrations Massage and Acupuncture
Musculoskeletal Therapy is a great choice if you suffer from:
Joint stiffness, “out of alignment” or “needing a crack” – musculoskeletal therapists will not apply high-velocity movements along the spine as typically seen with a chiropractor, however, they can assist with gentle joint mobilisation, MWMs (mobilisation with movement) and stabilising exercises to prevent future “cricks” Complex injuries Complex and multi-factorial pain patterns Nerve injuries, nerve tension or nerve pain Chronic pain syndromes Inflammatory conditions Conditions that have not responded to general remedial massage--
