Getting the treatment

Other than through self trial and error, how do you know the best form of treatment to help you recover from a body-busting event?

Massage?  Physiotherapy?  Osteotherapy?  Myotherapy? 

This week I found someone who ticks all of these boxes - and some.  MST - musculo-skeletal therapy.

According to Google (who knows everything, right?); The musculo-skeletal system is responsible for the body’s structural stability and physical movement. It is composed of many different kinds of muscles, ligaments, joints, tendons and bones. Musculoskeletal dysfunctions are very common; many people experience muscle pains, aches, joint dysfunctions etc. MST is a branch of physical therapy that focuses on the treatment of the musculo-skeletal pain and dysfunction viewing the body as a whole and not just focusing on individual places. It involves an extensive physical evaluation, orthopaedic testing, postural analysis, manual therapy and a rehabilitation plan.

Worth a try...

So the hour-long appointment goes a bit like this;
Whats going on now and past injuries.
Posture check...mmm... your left shoulder is lower than your right.  Lean on a mouse for a lot of your day, eh?
Jump up on the couch and lets have a feel around.
Hamstrings tight (yeah, ouch)
Calves tight (yesssss, double ouch)
Knee very swollen (thats coz it's stuffed)
"You don't stretch very often do you?"  Hmmm.  No.

Off with the dacks (and on with a towel) for a closer feel of the sore parts.
Feeling for a change of texture in major muscle groups.
"Does your left hip give you trouble?".  Oh yeah, I forgot about that.
"Does your right ankle swell up for no reason?".  Right again.
"Have you had trouble with your right knee?".  Giggle.  Dude, you're freaking me out.
"Your mid-foot strike is great - have you had running training?".  Okay, no training, but how do you know what part of my foot I run on?

And we're only 10 minutes into the hour by this stage.

He discusses all of the major muscle groups with me, and then moves onto the minor ones that surprisingly give me no discomfort at all.  Which is because I don't use them.  Which is why the majors are all screaming, because they're over-compensating for my lazy legs.

Then, he asks is he can do some work on my left knee.  I reluctantly agree, but hold my breath as he massages a muscle at the back of my knee.  On the pain scale, this hit a 9.  But as I relax and breathe through it, it eases.  As does the tightness in my knee.  So he suggests that we try to stretch it out - gently of course.  Magically, he gets another 10 or so degrees of flexion, which, given I've been stuck walking like a granny for 10 years, it's a bit exciting!

More massage.  More groaning.  More flexing of the knee.  And we're done.

Then came the happy ending.  A special recovery machine which is like inflatable pants that expand and contract via an air pump, that compress and release the muscles.  AND this part WAS FREE!

So for $85, $35 of which was covered by BUPA, I came out feeling like a very relaxed, well cared-for athlete.  Until I looked in the mirror anyway!

I went away with a few exercises to strengthen my lazy minor leg muscles, and I'm due to return for a tune-up in three weeks.

Overall, it was a great experience with no up-sell or frequent return pressure.  A bit perfect really.