​When pain or restriction shows up, it’s common to wonder:
Should I see a physio? A chiro? A myo?
They all can help, but what’s the difference?

I genuinely believe there are different times and places for each of these professions. Where I see Myotherapy fitting in is in providing targeted soft tissue treatment to reduce pain and restriction, so you can properly perform your exercise program, get back on track, and prevent further problems. Temporary relief is an important part of the journey of reaching your health goal.

One of the most common questions I get is: “What does myotherapy even mean?”

“Myo” simply means muscle, so in the simplest terms, I’m a muscle therapist. Personally, I think “muscle specialist” describes what we do even better.

Myotherapy focuses on the muscular aspect of your pain, using a wide range of skills and knowledge in treatment. This includes hands-on techniques, corrective exercises, practical advice, and ergonomic adjustments to support you in everyday life.
I often describe a Myotherapist as sitting somewhere between a Physio and a Remedial Massage Therapist, combining thorough assessment and exercise prescription with strong hands-on treatment skills.

Some of the techniques I use include:

• Deep and soft tissue massage
• Muscle manipulation
• Joint mobilisations
• Stretching and muscle energy techniques
• Exercise prescription
• Myofascial dry needling
• Cupping

If you’re dealing with pain, tightness, or movement restriction and want a balanced, practical approach to treatment, I’d love to help.

Book in a treatment with me on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Fridays from 3pm–7pm.

If you’ve ever wanted to help your partner wind down or loosen up tight shoulders after a stressful week, this one’s for you.
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As a Qualified Beauty Therapist, Remedial Massage Therapist, and Myotherapist, here are some simple tips to help you give a massage that actually feels good!

​1. Keeping Posture a Priority When Massaging

On a bed (client lying down):

• Keep your back straight and your arms as straight as possible. Use your body weight to apply pressure instead of pushing with your hands. Think of a CPR-style stance — but without that particular movement. This protects your wrists, shoulders, and lower back.

Working on arms or feet:

• Sit close to the area you’re treating. Keep your arms relaxed and your elbows near your sides. Avoid reaching or locking your shoulders forward.

On a chair – neck and shoulders:

• Stand behind them at a height that doesn’t make you lift your arms. Your hands should be able to rest comfortably on their shoulders. If you feel like you’re shrugging, adjust your height or position.

On a chair – limbs or head:

• Sit in front of the area you’re treating. Keep your elbows close to your body and your arms relaxed. Stay mindful of not leaning or overreaching.

On a couch:

• You can either stand behind the couch, or have them sit on the couch while you sit on a pillow on the floor in front of them. This works well for the neck, shoulders, and upper back.

2. What can I use? 

• Coconut Oil
• Any regular cream
• Don’t use other Cooking oils- I don't think they’ll appreciate smelling like a salad
• Body oils
• Sports cream if needed- (follow directions, & avoid it near the eyes & mouth)

Make sure to only apply more when needed rather than heaps on at the start, and be careful & use a product that they don't have any allergies to.

3. Caution before starting:

Physical Safety

• Avoid any areas that are bruised, injured, irritated, infected, or still healing.
• Be gentle around sensitive zones like the neck, armpits, inner elbows, upper inner thigh & groin area. These areas don’t handle heavy pressure well.
• If they react with sharp pain or say it hurts, go lighter or stop. This massage shouldn't feel intense or overwhelming.
• Skip massage if they’re unwell, feverish, or dealing with things like blood clots or very painful veins. (especially swollen areas post flight!)
• Don’t press directly onto the spine. Work into the muscles alongside it instead.

Technique and Setup

• Never heat massage oil in the microwave. It can become dangerously hot without warning.
• Don’t apply essential oils directly to the skin unless they’re properly diluted- ask a professional for advice if you wish to use these.
• Very soft surfaces like beds make it harder to work properly and can strain your back if not looking after your posture
• Keep your strokes slow, smooth, and steady. Avoid rushing or using random pressure.
• Always adjust if they ask for less pressure or say something feels uncomfortable.

Boundaries and Respect

• Don’t move into private or sensitive areas without clearly checking first.
• Notice their body language. Pulling away, tensing up, or going quiet usually means something isn’t right.
• If either of you starts feeling awkward, unsure, or uncomfortable, it’s okay to stop.
• When you’re unsure, keep things light, talk openly, and focus on helping them unwind — not trying to do professional-level deep work at home.
• Be mindful of any traumatic areas or hypersensitive zones (including anxious people): go slow, light, & get feedback as to prevent any discomfort.

4. Feedback

• Making sure your partner/other is happy is the main part, this will help make sure you were successful in helping them
• Don’t get too discouraged if they still need additional help. That’s why we’re here
• If you are ever unsure or uncomfortable to provide a treatment to your partner/other, feel free to reach out to us or even book an appointment.

​Muscle soreness: 

• Your muscles might feel tender, tight, or slightly sore for up to 2 days.
• If deep pressure was used, soreness can sometimes last up to 3 days
• Always let your therapist know how you’re feeling after your session.
• We may need to adjust the pressure next time if your body responds more strongly.
• Keep track of areas that feel sore or are improving, so your next session is more targeted to the areas that need it & help your progress run more effectively 

Why?
This is your body adjusting to the work that had been done
Muscles have been stretched, released, or worked in a new way to aid in restoring function.

What You Should Know:
Over the next few days, you might notice other muscles getting tight.

• These muscles were often in the background, less obvious before. 
• The adjustment period can bring awareness to these areas - either because they’re part of the same dysfunction or because they were affected by the original tightness. 

What Can Help?: 

• Gentle movement: like short walks, or light stretching can help.
• Hydration: this will help flush out toxins and support recovery
• Electrolytes: these are also very helpful in supporting recovery
• Heat/Ice: depending on the issue; cold will help with swelling or can be useful for migraines (recommended only using it in short 15-20 min sessions). Heat is more helpful for muscle pain (incl. soreness/spasms), nerve pain, and is used for most cases.
• Rest & Recovery: letting your muscles rest after a treatment -with gentle movement like walking) can be very beneficial for your recovery.

• Avoiding any heavy lifting or intense exercise for the rest of the day - this gives your body the best chance to adjust and settle properly.
• Your body is still processing the work that was done during your treatment

Posture & Movement

• Be mindful of your posture during the day, at work, or on your feet.
• Small adjustments prevent muscles from tightening back up.

Follow-Up & Home Care

• If your myotherapist gave you exercises or stretches, stick with them—they make the treatment last longer and you should notice your symptoms slowly start to improve as well when followed correctly (these do take time, so keep at it!)
• Also feel free to discuss your progress with your Therapist- anything you’re happy/not happy with. We can always help adjust/modify these exercises to suit you.

Please Contact Your Myotherapist if:

• Pain gets worse instead of better
• You notice numbness, tingling, or weakness that’s new, or if your symptoms are increasing
• Anything feels unusual or concerning
• Remember: Myotherapy is about long-term muscle health, not just temporary relief. If you treat your muscles well, and they’ll take care of you.

1. Strengthen the Muscles That Provide Support for Your Knees
Your knees are only as strong as the muscles supporting them. If your quads, hamstrings, calves, and glutes aren’t in top shape, your knees  and the ligaments that support them will be forced to pick up the slack—and that’s when the pain and injuries can occur.

How to do it:
Start incorporating exercises that target the muscles around your knees. For quads, think squats, lunges, and step-ups. These movements also have the added bonus of strengthening the glutes. For hamstrings which sadly tend to be the most neglected muscle in the legs think, hamstring curls, deadlifts (I know a very scary movement but can do wonders when instructed by a great trainer)  and RDL’s which is very similar to the deadlift but puts a greater focus on hamstring growth and strengthening. For calves one of the best exercises I would recommend is an elevated calf raise (a calf raise from a step or platform so your heels can go below the balls of your feet. And finally glutes if the quad exercises aren’t quite enough you always have the glute bridge/hip thrust, clam shells or glute kick backs. Through these exercises you build strength and stability, reducing the chances of knee strain during those sharp cuts and sudden jumps.

Bonus Tip: Don’t skip your core exercises! A solid core ensures better posture and movement mechanics as well as better transfer of power from the legs to the upper limbs, which can take the pressure off your knees during high-impact sports.


2. Master Proper Technique (Mastering the Basics has Profound Benefits)
Improper technique is one of the leading culprits behind knee injuries, especially in sports like basketball, football, and soccer. If your form is off—whether it's during a jump, a sprint, direction change, deceleration or a tackle—your knees are absorbing a lot more stress than they should.

How to do it:
Focus on landing with your knees slightly bent and your weight centered. When jumping, try to land softly, like you’re gently absorbing the impact rather than slamming down, think landing like a ninja not an elephant. Avoid valgus collapse (when your knees cave inward) while squatting, jumping, or lunging, as this misalignment is a huge stressor on your knees if you’re struggling with this knee control the glute exercise clam will be your best friend. Remember that when it comes to mastering any kind of movement, practice makes perfect or as Bruce Lee once said "I fear not the man who has practiced ten thousand kicks once, I fear the man who has practiced one kick ten thousand times”.  

Bonus Tip: one small movement inefficiency done repetitively over years of play can have major consequences on joint health it is important that as soon as a joint feel “off” to question why this could be the case consider discussing this with an exercise/movement/biomechanic professional 


3. Warm Up and Cool Down (Yeah, It’s Not Just for Old People)
Warming up might feel like a chore, and cooling down might seem like wasted time, but both are essential when it comes to protecting your knees. By warming up, you're preparing your muscles for the intense action ahead, and cooling down helps your joints stay limber and keep you moving with the same range of motion which may not see value in yet but you will thank yourself if you get on top of this early.

How to do it:
For a great warm up, remember RAMP:
Raise: raise your body temp and heart rate this can look like a light jog on the spot, skipping, star jumps basic movements required for your sport
Activate: engage the muscles required for the activity especially those stubborn muscles that don’t like working as well (looking at you glutes) 
Mobilise: looking at dynamic stretches and movements that mirror movement patterns used in your activity  
Potentiate: gradually increase the stress on the body to prepare for the activity, usually looks like starting to add drills or higher intensity drills just before game time
Now your ideal warm up will definitely look different from sport to sport it may even look different between two athletes in the same sport it’s important to note that you as an individual may need greater focus on different movements and activation then anyone else 

Bonus Tip: Warm ups don’t just have to be for muscles. Taking a joint to its maximum ranges of motion in a controlled environment is just as important for reducing risk of injury as warming up the muscles surrounding the joint


4. Myotherapy: A Secret Weapon for Knee Pain Prevention
If you haven’t heard about myotherapy yet, it’s time to pay attention—especially if you're involved in high-impact sports. Myotherapy is a form of soft tissue therapy that targets muscle pain, tension, and dysfunction, and it’s a fantastic way to prevent knee issues before they start.

How myotherapy helps:
When muscles are tight or imbalanced, they can affect your knee’s mechanics and the way they transfer and absorb impact forces, leading to pain and if neglected can lead to injury. Myotherapists use techniques like trigger point release, deep tissue massage, dry needling, cupping and myofascial release to target those areas of tension, restoring muscle balance and promoting better joint alignment. This not only helps with recovery, but it can also reduce the risk of injury by addressing issues before they cause pain.

Bonus Tip: Regular myotherapy sessions are especially beneficial if you feel tightness in your hips, quads, or calves. These muscles directly influence knee function, and a myotherapist can work to release any tension or imbalances that could lead to knee discomfort or injury.

Knee health isn’t just for the elite athletes—it’s essential for anyone who plays sports, pushes their limits, or simply enjoys an active lifestyle. Whether you're sprinting down the court, tackling on the field, or just pushing through a high-intensity workout, your knees bear a huge load and deserve attention. By strengthening the muscles around your knees, mastering proper technique, committing to consistent warm-ups and cool-downs, and incorporating therapies like myotherapy into your routine, you can significantly reduce the risk of injury and keep your knees functioning at their best.

Remember, knee pain and injury don’t usually come out of nowhere; they’re the result of small, repetitive stresses that accumulate over time. Taking proactive steps now will ensure that you can continue to run, jump, and move with confidence, without the nagging concern of knee discomfort holding you back. Treat your knees like the invaluable assets they are—because once they're gone, you’ll truly miss them. Stay strong, stay smart, and keep your knees in the game for years to come.

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