Common, (and not so common) conditions helped by myotherapy

This list is compiled from actual client conditions helped by my treatments as a myotherapist.
Given the intricacy  and complexity of the human body and condition, I can give no guarantee that a treatment that helped one person, will necessarily help you.
​Nevertheless, clients are regularly surprised when I am able to help them with a condition that they have been told needs surgery, or cannot be helped.
Stress underlies, amplifies,  and is a major contributor to every illness, so it is reasonable that  the massage component of myotherapy by itself, will have a positive impact on stress related illnesses and conditions. 
Further, clinical medical trials of massage (a key part of my myotherapy practice), show key benefits to be:

• Anxiety relief
• Decrease in pain
• Improvement in restorative sleep
• Increased participation in activities of daily living

Aids/HIV/Hepatitis C- massage and other myotherapy interventions have helped with stress, anxiety and some symptoms of these diseases.
Asthma, particularly exercised induced- relaxing and stretching the muscles of the chest wall improves breathing.
Anorexia nervosa- restoration of muscle tone, building more positive body image.
Back pain- new medical guidelines recommend massage and exercise as first line treatments.
Bloating, constipation-peristaltic massage has been utilised in hospitals for constipations and cupping is very beneficial.
Bruxism (Teeth grinding)- another muscle tension stress condition causing painful teeth and poor sleep.
Cancer- Massage is a safe treatment for cancer at any stage and cannot spread cancer. (NSW Cancer Council publication)
Carpal tunnel syndrome- cupping, massage and magnetic therapies have provided significant relief.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome- as a former major sufferer myself, I have real insight into management and treatment.
Compartment syndrome- I participated in a trial at the AIS where myotherapy reduced compartment syndrome pressures
Connective tissue disorders- lupus (Systemic lupus Erythrematosus-SLE); Sjogren's syndrome.
Depression- a meta analysis demonstrated that massage was significantly associated with alleviating depressive symptoms
Dislocations- While your dislocated joint will need medical attention and maybe even surgery, myotherapy is useful in the rehabilitative phase following dislocation.
Fatigue- My Chinese medicine background provides good insight into treating fatigue but it depends on the cause as to outcomes e.g. fatigue caused from cancer is less treatable than fatigue from overwork, lack of sleep.
Fibromyalgia- presents in varied patterns with tolerated pressures varying but responses generally good.
Frozen Shoulder- I love treating so called "frozen shoulder". This is one of my most regular successes.
Golfer's/Tennis Elbow (Lateral and/or medial epicondylitis) - not always caused by these sports. Can also be occupational. Many ways to treat successfully including taping, dry needling, cupping.
Headaches/Migraines- Common stress/tension headaches respond well. Regular treatments reduce and remove migraine attacks.
Insomnia (can't sleep, or poor quality sleep) - Many clients report much improved sleep patterns.
Irritable Bowel- This stress related syndrome responds well to a variety of myotherapy approaches.
Jaw pain (TMJ syndrome)- the powerful muscles that help chew and grind food can be positively treated and jaw pain relieved. Dry needling as well as massage, sometimes within the mouth have been effective.
Joint pain & dysfunction- no matter your joint pain be it neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, finger, spine, hip, knee, ankle or toe pain, myotherapy has answers. 
Lymphoedema (Lymph fluid swelling)- I am trained in the Foldi method of manual lymphatic drainage massage. More than 30,00 Victorian women alone have some degree of lymphodema, often secondary to cancer. you can be helped.
Mental illness- I have worked in both open and locked mental illness facilities around Melbourne at the request of both sufferers and their families.  I am comfortable with mental illness and welcome the special challenge it often presents.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) - So successful was my treatment of MS in one client, that her work paid for her ongoing myotherapy sessions when she had to reduce work hours and was struggling to afford her treatments herself. 
Muscle pain & injury- Muscle strains and sprains are commonly helped by myotherapy as we are muscle specialists.
Numbness/Tingling- numbness and or tingling, "pins and needles: may be serious symptoms, but are often no more than a nerve entrapment caused by a tight muscle/s, and so is eminently treatable with myotherapy in most cases.
Osteoarthritis- Affects mostly the large weight bearing joints. a number of medical studies have cautiously suggested that massage therapy may be beneficial for the pain of knee arthritis, and generally massage and movement have been found helpful. A recent study of massage for knee osteoarthritis determined that once a week 60 minute treatments for eight weeks were most beneficial.
Overuse injuries- The best known of these is Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), and carpal tunnel syndrome, but there are many other overuse injuries which can be helped.
Parkinson's Disease- The tremors and muscle rigidity associated with this disease have been shown in limited studies to benefit from massage. acupuncture is also helpful with symptoms.
Plantar fasciitis- This painful, debilitating heel and foot condition can be helped with a number of myotherapy interventions including massage, taping, strengthening, stretching, dry needling, and i and some podiatrists are seeing promising results from the press needles.
Post surgical- Once your surgical scar has blanched (whitened), your surgeon and GP will normally be comfortable with you seeking myotherapy as part of recovery. One important benefit  is myotherapy technique's role in helping prevent adhesions from consolidating. There is a window of 12-16 weeks when scar formation adhesions can be influenced.
Pregnancy (Pre and post natal)- I'm grateful to have been honoured to work with so many of my female clients before their pregnancy (when practising as an acupuncturist) during the pregnancy, and after.
A recent high quality and extensive medical study has shown that the so called "forbidden"points even when needled failed to show any objective evidence of harm, so you can receive a myotherapy treatment unless high risk, safely. Massage is safe even in the first trimester, but I will always do a risk/benefit analysis based on your personal profile.
Raynaud's Phenomenon- not high quality clinical trials but evidence of pain reduction and circulation improvements.
Restless leg's syndrome- although a neurological condition, responds well with normally a reduction in evening leg movements as compared to without myotherapy.
Rheumatoid arthritis- Rheumatoid arthritis affects mostly the smaller non-weight bearing joints, unlike  osteoarthritis which affects more the weight bearing joints. Myotherapy will not be appropriate at the time of an acute flare-up, but can provide benefit at other times.
Sciatica and pseudo-sciatica- Your sciatic like typical tingling pain and numbness radiating down from your buttock and down your leg may not be true sciatica, but a problematic muscle deep in the buttock called piriformis which causes so called pseudo-sciatica. Both conditions, true and pseudo can be helped, but the piriformis syndrome which pseudo-sciatica is called is easily relieved. Why not find out which one you have?
Shingles- Has a stress component like so many illnesses, but acupressure and acupuncture are helpful in relieving the pain of shingles.
Shin Splints (Medial tibial stress syndrome -MTSS)- is caused by muscle imbalances and hypertonicity (excess muscle tightness) and responds very well to myotherapy treatment.
Sporting injuries and sports related soreness- it has been my privilege to be able to work with many World and Olympic  sports champions from all around the globe including individuals and teams from Russia, Romania, East/West Germany, Sweden, UK, Italy as well as of course our Aussie champions across a wide range of sports including water polo, tennis, gymnastics, athletics, rowing, swimming, cycling and more. I talk sport.
Stress related illnesses and anxiety disorders including panic attacks- Previously a sufferer myself, I can relate to your symptoms and help you overcome them.
Stroke- I have treated stroke victims both within the hospital system and outside with positive results. Chinese medicine has a great understanding of the underlying causes of stroke and this helps inform my treatments.
Wry neck/Torticollis- One of the most common conditions I treat. You wake one morning unable to fully turn your head to one side and it is painful. It normally will get better itself in 2-3 days, but responds very quickly and effectively to myotherapy.