Good news, ahm Health Insurance members!

After the dramas of moving clinic, ahm Health Insurance have got my provider registration reconnected to the HICAPS machine!!

That means that you can get your rebates on the spot for your Myotherapy or Remedial Massage treatment.

I think that's now all the health funds back up and running! What a relief!!

This is one of those questions I get asked really often.
Myotherapy is still a fairly new term in the health world, its been picking up in popularity in Australia over the last 15 years or so.
My path into Myotherapy began in Remedial Massage, and I see a lot of similarities between the two modalities, as well as the differences.

• A Myotherapy treatment includes a more extensive initial assessment, including your health history, doing special tests, forming a clinical impression and developing a treatment plan to specifically resolve your pain.
• Myotherapy includes additional techniques like dry needling, cupping, kinesiotaping, muscle energy techniques, joint mobilisation, and corrective exercise prescription.
• A Myotherapy treatment is usually for a specific injury, pain or muscular dysfunction - for example, a sharp pain when you raise your left arm or sciatic pain in the right leg, rather than a full body treatment.
• Myotherapists have extra study time under their belt, including pain science, neurophysiology, advanced clinical reasoning and more. Myotherapists have either an Advanced Diploma or a Bachelor Degree.

A Myotherapist is a great option if you have an injury, a specific pain area, a recurring or severe pain, or a condition that requires more in depth knowledge and training. Plus a lot of Myotherapists, like myself, came into Myotherapy through a Remedial Massage background. By seeing a Myo for your pain you are likely to get a great range of techniques that feel good and are effective at relieving your pain.

For more widespread aches, pains and tension that are a little annoying but not stopping you from getting on with your day, a Remedial Massage can do the trick.
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If you have a question, I'd love to answer it! Drop me a line, or feel free to call in in person to the clinic at Balanced Life Health Care in Ferntree Gully.

Would you like to get your treatment plan started? Book your first appointment online.

The myth
Somewhere along the line, people started to equate pain and gain. It's in the workplace, in the gym, and now even on the treatment table.
 
There are many who think a 'good' massage or myotherapy treatment should make them wince. They think that:

• In order to 'cure' pain, you need to inflict it
• Deep tissue work requires pressure to the point of pain
• Gentle bodywork doesn't achieve the best outcome for your muscles

 
But is this really the case?
 
The reality
Does pain really equal gain? I don't think so – particularly not for people already in pain.
 
If you're already experiencing pain, your nervous system is already on overload. And that means you're already vulnerable to more pain. Pain is not a healthy thing in large amounts!
 
In fact, when your body experiences pain, you'll have:

• Higher level of stress hormones
• Greater fluctuations in blood sugar levels
• Higher levels of fatigue
• A greater inflammatory load throughout the body
• More essential nutrients used up

 
I don't know about you. But I think that if you walk out of a chronic pain treatment with more inflammation, fewer nutrients and more stress – it might not be a good choice for your healing.
 
On the other hand, a gentle treatment that lowers stress hormones and inflammation might be just what you need.
 
Can you have a pain-free treatment?
I believe that you can have a low-pain, if not completely pain-free myotherapy treatment. There's a few ways you can make sure that this happens:

1. Find a practitioner who understands hypersensitivity and chronic pain. These practitioners are the ones who have worked hard to learn how to treat your pain. I'm proud to be a practitioner for chronic pain clients, and continue to study to learn how to best help them.
2. Communicate, communicate, communicate! While it's true that your myotherapist can sometimes spot the physical reaction to pain, it's not a guarantee. So if something hurts – speak up! Let your myotherapist know what hurts where, and what it feels like.
3. Keep breathing. By keeping your breaths long and deep, you can switch the dominant nervous system from sympathetic (fight-or-flight) to parasympathetic (rest-and-digest). It keeps your body calm, and reduces the likelihood of pain.

 
You might still experience some sensations like tenderness on trigger points, or mild discomfort during a stretch. But that's not quite the same as pain – I'll explain in a later post.
 
Are you still worried about pain during a treatment? I want to hear your concerns and let you know how I can help. Send me a message, and we can talk about how to keep you pain-free.
 
Ready to get yourself a gentle AND effective treatment for your pain? Pop on over to the booking page to get started.