Do I need A Scan Before I Can Book A Myotherapy or Remedial massage Appointment?

We get asked quite a lot if a scan like an X-ray, ultrasound or MRI is needed first before a Myotherapy or Remedial Massage appointment.

Generally, the answer is no, you won't need to go for a scan first. Myotherapy and Remedial Massage are very low risk treatments that can help with your pain without needing imaging first.

What can scans show you?
X-rays will show you bony changes. This can include obvious bone injuries like breaks and fractures, as well as things like arthritis and bone spurs.
Ultrasound can pick up changes in soft tissues like muscles, tendons and bursa. There are limits on how much detail an ultrasound can pick up especially if the tissue is deep inside the body, and it can sometimes be unpleasant because the scanning device needs to be pressed against the affected area to complete the image.
MRIs provide a more in depth look at injured tissue. They can be used to observe bone, muscle and nerve changes, as well as identifying other non-musculoskeletal conditions like cancer or abnormal growths.
CT scans are a series of images of the affected area to create a cross section view of bone and soft tissue.

When might you need a scan before an appointment?
There are certainly times that it can be useful to get your GP to refer you for a scan, like:

• If you've recently been in a high impact accident, like a car accident, falling from a height or being thrown from a horse
  
• If you've had a recent crushing injury, like having a car drive over your foot or having your hand crushed under a heavy pallet
  
• If your pain is extremely sensitive to even the lightest touch
  
• If your pain feels less like a muscular pain and more like a deep organ pain
  
• You felt a "pop" or "rip" sensation that started your pain, like footballers feeling a rip in their hamstring when kicking, or runners feeling a pop in the achilles while sprinting
  
• The area is hugely swollen, red and hot
  

Do you already have a scan or imaging report?
Great! Bring along the copy of your report to your appointment. Our practitioners can have a read of the findings and make sure that you understand what it means, and this can help inform our treatment approach to your pain.

Lets get started!
Book your appointment with us and we'll complete an assessment and treatment. If we think you may need some imaging we can write a referral to your GP explaining our assessment and asking them to complete further investigations so that as your health team we get you back to feeling and moving better!