What is sports myotherapy and exercise science?

​By Ethan Farr, Sports Myotherapist & Exercise Scientist

Sports Myotherapy is a specialised form of manual therapy that focuses on the assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries commonly encountered in athletes of all levels including young athlete development, elite and sub-elite level athletes to even your weekend warriors and general gym goers.

As a Myotherapist with a degree in Sports and Exercise Science, I'm the ideal sport focused therapist to help you move through a comprehensive rehab plan that considers your sport, your fitness, the other demands of your lifestyle including work, family and social life.

Sports Myotherapists like myself utilise a combination of hands-on techniques, such as deep tissue massage, trigger point therapy, stretching, dry needling, cupping and corrective exercise, to address muscle imbalances, alleviate pain, and enhance athletic performance.

Sports Myotherapists work closely with athletes to identify underlying biomechanical issues, design personalised treatment plans, and provide ongoing support to optimise recovery, improve performance and prevent future injuries, making it an integral component of athletic training programs.

Exercise science is a multidisciplinary field that explores various aspects of human movement, physical activity, and exercise performance. It encompasses disciplines such as physiology, biomechanics, anatomy, kinesiology, psychology, and nutrition to study how the body responds and adapts to exercise and physical activity. Exercise scientists investigate topics such as the physiological effects of exercise on different systems of the body, the mechanics of human movement, the psychological factors influencing exercise behaviour and performance, and the role of nutrition in supporting physical activity and athletic performance. This field is crucial for understanding how exercise can be utilised for health promotion, athletic training, rehabilitation, and performance enhancement across diverse populations.

Exercise science provides valuable insights into the biomechanics, physiology, and pathology of the human body during physical activity, which can inform myotherapy treatments in several ways. Understanding the principles of human movement and functional anatomy allows myotherapists to assess movement patterns, identify muscular imbalances, and pinpoint areas of dysfunction contributing to injury. Additionally, knowledge of exercise physiology enables myotherapists to tailor treatment interventions to enhance tissue healing, improve muscle strength and endurance, and optimise neuromuscular control. By integrating exercise science principles into myotherapy practice, therapists can develop comprehensive treatment plans that not only alleviate current symptoms but also address underlying causes and promote long-term musculoskeletal health and performance.

Experience working in fitness and with athletes provides valuable insights that can significantly inform myotherapy treatments. Firstly, familiarity with various athletic activities and sports-specific movements allows myotherapists to understand the specific demands placed on the body during training and competition. This understanding enables them to tailor treatment plans to address the unique biomechanical stresses and patterns of movement associated with each individual sport, thus optimising treatment outcomes. Moreover, working with athletes offers exposure to a wide range of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions commonly encountered in sports and fitness settings. This hands-on experience enhances a myotherapist's ability to assess, diagnose, and treat injuries effectively, drawing on practical knowledge gained from working with individuals across different sports and fitness levels.

If you want to see the difference a sports myotherapist/exercise scientist can make to your sports rehab, return to match fitness and improved peak performance, book yourself an appointment with me at www.simplewellness.com.au/treatments-bookings or call us on 03 8204 0970. I would love to have the chance to help you be better than you thought was possible.