NMIT Interview with Director Matthew Cleary

Interview with Director Matthew Cleary by Trish Gallagher from NMIT

What is a career in massage really like once you leave the classroom and hit the clinic? Matthew Cleary, founding Director of Advanced Myotherapy in inner city suburb of Carlton commenced his studies at NMIT in 2001 and has since gone on to establish his highly successful Myotherapy business.  Matthew and his team of therapists are highly sought after in the industry and have worked with organisations such as the AFL, South African Rugby Union team, professional sportspeople in the disciplines of gymnastics, ice hockey and boxing.
We spoke to Matthew about his fascinating career and find out what it takes to be successful in this industry.

What made you decide to choose Myotherapy as a career?

Myotherapy was a natural career choice for me as someone who first began working as a Remedial Therapist, discovering the impact it could have on people’s wellbeing. Helping people overcome debilitating pharmaceutical addictions to costly pain medications was a great inspiration. My mother worked in a Pharmacy for 43 years and establishing my first clinic in the adjoining Doctor’s surgery, allowed me to witness the needless dependence many people had on this type of treatment. Not only did I see the potential for an incredible long term financial benefit to people finding a natural solution to postural and lifestyle related musculoskeletal conditions, I became increasingly passionate about being able to contribute to a better quality of life for people.

How does this differ from other massage careers?

Myotherapy has the advantage of more specialised training with regard to muscle health and injury recovery, especially longer term. Myotherapists are trained to a higher level than other Massage therapists as it requires more clinical knowledge for an educational approach in corrective self care understanding. Here lies the difference, where many Massage practitioners can merely offer treatment that will only suffice for a more temporary relief of pain symptoms.

Tell us about some of your clients?

Working with the Brisbane Lions football club for ten years during their historical 3-peat premierships with consecutive grand finals, I gained incredible knowledge of the important role a therapist can have in helping people achieve a much better level of physical performance and injury recovery. Many of the clients that now come to my clinic are elite professional athletes from AFL players, to Ice Hockey teams, Soccer players and professional netball players. We treat many people for sports performance with a natural approach that promotes a greater self care and recovery awareness. Our patients also include many people who are referred from other health professionals such as Doctors, Neurosurgeons, Osteopaths, Chiropractors and the like for surgery prevention with natural drug free care.

 Is there much travel involved?

Our team of therapists all live very locally, although have originally come from the country for their studies and career. Melbourne is the leading city in Australia for Myotherapy as it is much colder and our lifestyle is much faster in pace than the warmer states. There is certainly more demand for more specialised muscle health care in the cooler climates. The demand for injury recovery and pain management in this city is much higher than elsewhere, as we are also the world’s sporting capital. So if you are in or near Melbourne, there is certainly not a great need for travel when it comes to work in the Myotherapy profession.

What specialist equipment do you need to be a Myotherapist?

Though starting out as a mobile therapist, when I opened Advanced Myotherapy, It was important for me and the team to have electric tables so as to prevent muscular imbalances of our own. It’s important to have the table at the right height to avoid straining and injuring yourself as a therapist. Other than that, we have grown from a paper booking calendar to an online booking system which also saves our clients a lot of time being able to see therapists availability and booking appointments at any time of the day. This also allows for the phone to ring a lot less while we are in treatment, to keep the ambiance of a quiet practice.

What advice can you give to budding Myotherapists?

Apply all of your knowledge and keep educating yourself. If you want success in anything you must live it, breathe it and love it. You will become infectious to others when you are passionate. Don’t be afraid to start out working hard. Business success is built on a solid foundation of commitment in hours, energy and time. You must have the experience if you want to gain the confidence that goes with getting results. This is what people respect. The experience comes from a willingness to start somewhere and not give up.
Contact NMIT’s Personal Services department today to find out how you can start your career path in massage and myotherapy

8 Ways to Better Your Health

Here we suggest 8 simple and practical changes that you can make to enhance your quality of life through better lifestyle choices that make the difference. Smart, easy and realistic, these ideas are small but significant changes that you can make in your life towards living healthier and having more energy.

1. When going shopping, out to dinner or on your way to work, park a few blocks away to have more walking distance. 

Fresh air is one of our most basic needs, yet today most people spend most of their time indoors. We were not born to live this way or designed for such environments. Too many buildings have millions of toxic chemicals contained just within the paint on their walls, let alone the building materials and furnishings. People wonder why there is such a rapidly growing rate of health problems, yet most of their time is spent in such detrimental environments that overload the immune system to cause weakness long term. 

2. Take the stairs when and where ever you can. 

When there are elevators or escalators, take the smarter option of doing some resistance training. Walking up and down stairs is a great way to tone up the legs and gluts. It's a small change that over time will make a big difference, especially if you work or live in a building with stairs. It all adds up.

3. Think of drinking water as the same thing as taking a shower, only for your organs.

Would you shower in soft drink? Why would you shower your organs with it? Water provides lubricant and cushioning for the organs to function better (more intelligently). "Drying is dying." So drink water, rather than coffee for energy as water is a far better source of energy. Warm water especially is the best cleanser, helping to flush waste from the body and move things along in the system for better digestion. Besides, the less hydrated you are, the quicker you wrinkle and age. 

4. Swap sugar, not for "artificial" sweetener, not for "natural" sweetener, but for Honey.

Honey has looong been used as a great healer. It's well known for its "antibacterial" properties and ability to break down mucous, clear cold and flu congestion and heal skin problems like wounds. It does matter what quality of honey you have though so be sure to buy only the best. Don't use runny honey. The best is raw, thick honey that has not been heated and treated or watered down. Raw honey is nature's gold!

5. Snack right!

Stock up on easy to eat plant food. It's simple and it's the "real" fast food. Nature prepared it, ready to eat! Celery sticks, ready to go, wash and break off. You don't even really need a knife...that's how fast it is. So don't use "convenience" as an excuse that you are hungry. That is why we call it dis-ease pre-vention. It's pre-paring, by caring...about your health. Buy plant foods like celery and cucumber, apples and bananas. They are ready to go, straight from the source. 

6. When dining out, share your meals.

Don't order two entrees and consider sharing a main that everyone or at least two of you can enjoy together. It saves money too. That way you won't feel uncomfortably full and heavy afterwards. Food is supposed to energise and nourish, not weigh down and tire. Consider down sizing everything you eat. They say "The less you eat, the longer you live." So eat a little, moderately. People too often think they are hungry, when really they are dehydrated. Next time you feel what can be mistaken for "hunger pains", drink up and see how much better you feel.

7. Quit tv or use it as time to get down and sweat it out. 

TV can be poison not only to the mind, but the body. It has been found that you burn more energy when sleeping than when watching tv. If you can't give yourself a little test of time out from tv, say a week or two, to see the difference this makes, then use the time productively. Work out when watching the set. Or swap your cooking shows for work out dvds. Sweat is fat crying, so a small half hour of power a night could change your life rapidly. It's another small change with big potential.

8. Break your dependence on the Doctor. 

Next time you feel a symptom coming on, research it and find natural home remedies that cost "nothing". Most Doctors prescribe drugs rather than educating you around the simple steps to self recovery. In fact, Doctors are not even trained in "health" at all! They are trained in sickness and drugs. It's well known that more than 96% of Doctors have not training what so ever in nutrition or health. In all those years of training, not one subject is on nutrition and natural remedies? Consider this next time you seek their "help".  

At Advanced Myotherapy our passion is helping you avoid resorting to toxic pharmaceutical dependence, that causes long term health defects. Our focus lies in leading people away from destructive means of pain management and towards conscious self care, balance and wellbeing. We have a high success rate helping people avoid and prevent surgery where recommended by Doctors and pride ourselves on the fast and long term results we have a reputation for. 

If you have concerns for your health or have been diagnosed with a musculo-skeletal condition, recommended surgery, or have a persistent injury and pain, and would like professional help to recover fully, call us to discuss how we can help on 9347 5764.

Follow @advancedmyo

To receive regular Self Care education, sign up here to our news updates.

Subscribe to our mailing list

Advanced Myotherapy

Pelvic Tilt & Back Pain

Top 5 causes of the dreaded pelvic tilt that contributes to lower back pain:

1. Weak hamstrings
2. Weak abdominals
3. Weak glutes
4. Tight erector spinae
5. Tight hip flexors

The answer? Lengthen & strengthen! Want better posture? Stretching and exercising are the two most vital keys. Being fit beats being "skinny or slim" and by no means are they the same thing. Fit people come in all sizes, but generally as you will see looking at the image here, their shape indicates a better resistance to gravity and more grace of movement. 

Sitting wrong or for too long is another leading cause of the pelvic tilt, given that over time, it tightens the hip flexors which places pressure on the lower back. Most of the people we see that come to us with lower back pain have very tight hip flexors, which is a result of desk work. 

As you can begin to see, there are two essential elements in maintaining good posture and preventing premature shortening of the spine, along with other signs of ageing. These are "stretching and strengthening". The longer and stronger the muscles, the better health we have as these promote better health all round in allowing freedom of movement and increased range of motion. 

Myotherapy works to do just this, in assisting clients to restore the perfect posture by adjusting the spinal alignment with the support of muscle balance and integrity. Myotherapists are becoming more and more popular in finding solutions to musculoskeletal imbalances and conditions because they treat both together by providing the body's structure muscular support to hold the bones in correct positioning. 

If you have a posture problem and associated pain and wish to avoid depending on costly drugs or time off work, call us today for a consultation on 9347 5764 or visit www.advanced-myotherapy.com

Wrist pain - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpus comes from the Greek word which means wrist. Carpal tunnel syndrome is when  there is irritation and pain that comes from tight tissue which makes up the carpal tunnel, squeezing the nerves and causing tingling and numbness in the fingers. 

The very same thing occurs in Tarsal tunnel syndrome because the anatomy of the ankle and the wrist are very similar. What usually leads to this condition is exerting pressure on the nerve at the wrist, which can be a results of a number of other conditions such as pregnancy, obesity, arthritis and trauma. It can be a result of RSI / repetitive strain on the wrist and inflammation from work such as uninterrupted typing and the like. 

In surgery the carpal tunnel is cut away to take the pressure off the nerves, which is most of the time preventable with correct care, awareness and treatment. Carpal tunnel can even resolve itself over a period of time and is often a temporary condition or it can also persist and progress which is when Myotherapy should be sought for treatment and recovery. 

Sometimes Carpal tunnel syndrome can be mistaken for tendonitis, which is the inflammation of the tendon that extends the thumb. This can be corrected with the R.I.C.E method of rest and ice along with correct support in place. Carpel tunnel left untreated however can lead to weakening in the hand grip and strength along with atrophy and deterioration. 

Here is what one of our clients had to say after treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome...

“I was diagnosed with CTA – carpel tunnel symcrome, tendonitis and fibromialga and was treated by a Psysio for 4 months once a week.  You have done more for me in one session  than the physio did in that whole time and the tingling is almost gone already.”- Malina Larm

Knee Pain

Knee pain, runners knee and ITB syndrome are all problems associated with the knee which can mostly be treated without drugs or surgery. Soft tissue injuries around the knee can easily be treated with the R.I.C.E method of Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. When related to arthritic problems, heat and movement help enormously to heal the condition and the faster you seek treatment the earlier recovery will be possible to avoid developing greater severity of the problem. 

It is recommended that sufferers of knee pain and conditions such as those listed above only perform low impact exercises that strengthen the muscles without injuring the joints (swimming, cycling, walking). A muscle strengthening program is essential in recovering from knee problems to avoid surgery which often results in degenerative disorders. 

Degenerative changes such as osteoarthritis are more likely to develop if knee surgery takes place. Myotherapy is recommended for muscle tears to help restore integrity and strength around the area without having to resort to toxic drugs or intrusive surgery.

Most sprains of the ligaments heal fast if the client follows a Myotherapists advice and recovery program which includes self care exercises. In cases where the ITB is affected and causing restriction, strengthening and stretching exercises help the process of recovery, alleviating the IT band pain. People often think that training will only make things worse when it comes to knee problems however this could not be further from the truth. 

Training the hamstrings and inner and outer thigh can help significantly in the healing of knee problems. Strength and flexibility are key to restoring balance to any musculoskeletal condition. Daily movement no matter what, is essential to keep things functioning properly, and where there is resistance, you must have persistence, in getting things back to normal.  

Problems such as Patellar Tracking Disorder come from an imbalance in the knee that causes the kneecap (Patella) to tilt as the leg angles bend which result in chronic and acute types of pain. Often the problems are a result of weakness in the thigh muscles (quadriceps), overuse, RSI, strain, trauma to the area or a growth spurt. The key is allowing the knee to rest when it is aggravated while strengthening the muscles around it to restore normal tracking and repair damage, with correct guidance and technique. 

Shoulder Pain

From frozen shoulder to sprain and inflammation, shoulder pain is a result of a wide range of factors. Most clients we see for the first time with shoulder complaints have had this pain for any length of time, and have spent many wasted dollars trying different forms of therapy and treatment. 

Sometimes they will have suffered months, even years with this condition without successful recovery because many practitioners simply address the symptoms and rarely the underlying cause. Because of this the person only gains short term relief  from the treatment and rarely any long term results and benefits. 

Our priority lies in addressing the underlying reason / roots of shoulder pain to determine whether is comes from postural imbalances, muscular imbalances or injury, so that we can treat not just the pain, but also the cause for immediate and long term improvement and pain relief.  

Chronic and ongoing shoulder pain originates from muscular imbalances which irritate the function of the shoulder joint. This can come from stiffness in the pectorals at the front of the chest or between the shoulder blades (rhomboids). Releasing these tight muscles with deep tissue myofascial therapy alongside strengthening self care exercises, is affective in correcting such complaints.

In chronic cases where someone has tried all other forms of treatment with no success, we find that the cause is often related to other areas of tension and imbalance. In such cases we treat the body holistically to restore balance overall and alleviate pain rather than isolating the symptoms. 

Assessing the muscles in the hips and back will also be essential in working with such problems, to address and issues where lengthening and strengthening is needed, which eradicates postural imbalances. Once bi-lateral treatment restores postural balance, clients will become free from the cause of such pain and will no longer suffer with this condition.