Myofascial Acoustic Compression Therapy (MyACT®): What Is It?

Looking for pain relief for aching areas of the body? Myofascial Acoustic Compression Therapy, or MyACT, is a highly effective, targeted, non-invasive device that utilizes acoustic waves to treat muscle, tendon and joint pain. Because it impacts cellular function and form, this acoustic wave therapy can make a significant impact in physical healing and pain relief, particularly when paired with other effective chiropractic therapies. It works by having acoustic waves treat pain by precisely targeting specific areas below the skin and delivering stimulus that can increase circulation, speed up the healing process and aid in acute and chronic pain relief.

MyACT devices are unique in their ability to penetrate much deeper subcutaneous layers than other compression devices that are only able to manipulate the outer layer of soft tissue. By doing this, these devices are able to reach deeper, target better and provide extremely precise deep tissue massages that can drastically improve a patient’s pain levels.

How MyACT® Therapy Works

MyACT relies on acoustic waves, targeted at various depths of tissue, to deeply compress and massage areas of pain in the body. Unlike ultrasound, MyACT creates slow, non-thermal pulses that compress soft tissue, rather than vibrate them. Since MyACT is delivered directly to the area where you’re experiencing pain, the treatment is guided by you! The gel pad of the machine will be applied directly to your skin, and a low intensity setting will be administered to the affected area. As the machine moves over your skin, you will provide verbal feedback to communicate your body’s reaction to the one administering your treatment, guiding them through what you’re feeling. The initial goal of the machine is to find the area where you’re experiencing pain and cause a “flare” or a reaction similar to the pain you’re already experiencing, so the administer knows they’re in the right area. Once the trigger point is located, the intensity setting can be increased to deliver the preferred amount of acoustic rays directly to the area affected.

Treatment

MyACT can be used to treat a myriad of aches and pains, but it is mostly commonly used to aid with painful trigger points, stress injuries, soft tissue injuries and enthesopathies, aka bone attachment disorders, such as rotator cuff issues, bursitis, spurs, tendinitis, etc. The treatments can take anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes and may be recommended 1-3 times a week until pain subsides or disappears, with acute pain sometimes lessening after a single visit.

If you’re experiencing any muscle or tissue pain, or looking to treat myofascial conditions, MyACT could be a good treatment option for you! At HealthFirst Spine & Wellness, our doctors are well-versed in the use of myofascial acoustic compression therapy in Austin, for everything ranging from injuries to chronic disorders. With an already high success rate in the treatment of pain, MyACT is an excellent step to explore on the road to optimum health and wellness. To learn more about this muscle trigger point therapy, request a free consultation today.