Osteopathy, myotherapy, Chiropractic, physiotherapy… it can all get a bit confusing. Which discipline focuses on what conditions of the body, and which treatment is best for your specific needs?
To describe what the difference is between myotherapy and osteopathy, it’s best to start by explaining that “myo” means muscle and “osteo” means bone. Therefore, you’d be forgiven for thinking that myotherapy relieves muscle tension and osteopathy alleviates pain caused by skeletal or joint issues.
In reality though, it’s not quite so black and white. Our bodies are a network of connective tissues where muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and joints are linked together – and as such, any muscle treatment is going to affect nerves, any treatment of joint pain is going to affect tendons, and so on.
Osteopathy adopts numerous techniques to loosen up the muscles and tendons around a joint, freeing up movement and alleviating soreness in the area. Osteopaths typically take a holistic approach to identifying the imbalances in your body which caused the injury or pain to occur in the first place.
Myotherapy, on the other hand, aims to diffuse your trigger points and taut bands of muscle surrounding the affected joints. A myotherapist might evaluate antagonist muscles (opposite action) and synergist muscles (same action) to determine whether they have contributed to the soreness in the joint. Myotherapy also involves looking for any imbalances in your body which could have potentially led to the pain or injury.
Both modalities may provide informed advice on corrective exercises for strengthening and stretching various parts of the body to alleviate the symptoms. However, an osteopath’s skillset lies with treating your skeletal system first and muscles second whereas a myotherapist’s skillset lies more with easing the affected muscles.
If you’re experiencing soreness and stiffness in your joints and the surrounding muscles, the best avenue to regaining mobility and alleviating pain is actually to combine osteo vs myo treatments. By having your osteopath and myotherapist communicate with each other on your musculoskeletal condition, together they can deliver positive outcomes more efficiently.
Your practitioner might also recommend nutritional medicine, massage, acupuncture and other complementary treatments to aid recovery.
At Essendon Natural Health, our team includes several fully qualified and highly experienced osteopaths and myotherapists who can collaboratively help you overcome joint stiffness, relieve muscle tension and manage nerve pain. Book an initial consultation with our friendly and knowledgeable team today.
B.C.M (Hons), C.Clin.Prac (China), C.Toyohari. Registered Acupuncturist and Herbalist. Integrative Natural Medicine Practitioner.
Robert is a passionate and warm practitioner who has an extensive knowledge of integrative and functional natural medicine. He is down to earth and has an interest in organic foods, gardening and sustainable living. With over a decade of experience, he is renowned for being very thorough by both fellow practitioners and patients alike.
