by Betsy Timmerman —
The myotherapist uses her elbows, thumbs and knuckles to release trigger points while applying direct pressure.
Bonnie Prudden Myotherapy is a technique that helps people to relieve the pain, inflammation and stiffness they may feel from disease, sports injuries, repetitive strain injuries and accidents. Myotherapy is a direct, but noninvasive outgrowth of the medical discipline of trigger point injection therapy (used by Janet Travel, M.D. to help President Kennedy with his back pain). This technique relaxes tight muscles that are in spasm, which allows the therapist to passively stretch the muscles in the affected area. Once a treatment is completed, patients have much greater range of motion and flexibility, and are able to complete an at-home stretching routine to keep the pain and stiffness at bay.
The myotherapist uses her elbows, thumbs and knuckles to release trigger points while applying direct pressure. Trigger points are irritable spots found in the muscles and connective tissue, which are chemical and electrical in nature. When a trigger point is activated, it causes the surrounding tissue to contract, causing pain, inflammation, tingling, numbness or stiffness.
Myotherapy is unique in that the therapist jump-starts the healing process, and the patient continues the healing by compliance with corrective exercises that are prescribed. Unlike other healing modalities, myotherapy is often a short-term therapeutic treatment, as patients can use specialized tools and at-home stretching to keep their muscles long and strong.
Pain signals pass through shortened muscles very efficiently, but healthy, lengthened and strong muscles do not harbor trigger points. With myotherapy and individualized, easy-to-do corrective exercises, muscle health can be regained.
Conditions that respond well to myotherapy are sports injuries; accident injuries; fibromyalgia; neck, back, arm, leg, foot, hip and shoulder pain; arthritis; and myofascial pain syndrome.
To learn more about Bonnie Prudden Myotherapy, see bonnieprudden.com or eastwestpainsolutions.com.
Betsy Timmerman is a certified Bonnie Prudden Myotherapist (trigger point therapy) therapist, a fibromyalgia educator and a First Line® Therapy educator. She provides workshops and one-on-one consultations to help people recover from fibromyalgia. eastwestpainsolutions.com or 623-251-7547.
Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 30, Number 2, April/May 2011.
February 24, 2012
Injury, Myotherapy, Natural therapies, Pain