MyoSpray

15/06/2026

Most of us know that pain is produced by the brain.
But what's actually driving it at a cellular level?
Glial cells? Descending modulation? The synaptic mechanisms behind central sensitization?
I've been building something for advanced clinicians — practitioners who've done the foundational pain science work and want to go further into the cellular and systems-level science.
Launching in July. Stay tuned.

Photo by Robina Weermeijer on Unsplash

15/06/2026

!!A new publication about myofascial pain in an open access journal. I particularly like the inclusion of the BPS model which notes the multi-dimensional nature of pain
Pinheiro, J. P., & Lourenço, M. (2026). Myofascial pain syndrome: Pathophysiology and clinical aspects. WebLog Journal of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19268993
Photo by Bioscience Image Library by Fayette Reynolds on Unsplash

Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) is one of the most common — and most underdiagnosed — musculoskeletal conditions in clinical practice, affecting up to 93% of patients seen in musculoskeletal services.

A new mini review published in the WebLog Journal of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation by Dr. João Páscoa Pinheiro and Mariana Lourenço (Coimbra University) provides a clear and clinically relevant overview of what we currently know about MPS.

Key takeaways:

🔬 The pathophysiology is two-layered — peripheral dysfunction at the motor endplate (excessive acetylcholine release, local ischaemia, algogenic substance accumulation) combined with central sensitisation in chronic cases, explaining why pain persists and spreads beyond the original site.

🩺 Diagnosis remains entirely clinical — no reliable biomarkers or imaging findings exist. Core criteria include a palpable taut band, a hypersensitive trigger point, referred pain reproduction, and restricted mobility.

💊 Treatment must be multimodal — pharmacology alone is rarely sufficient. Dry needling, trigger point injections, manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and patient education all play important roles.

🧠 The biopsychosocial model matters — neuroimaging shows involvement of somatosensory cortical and limbic regions, reinforcing that MPS is far more than a local muscle problem.

The authors rightly highlight that while prevalence is high, the quality of evidence for treatments remains limited. Better diagnostic tools and well-designed clinical trials are urgently needed.

A valuable read for anyone working in rehabilitation, rheumatology, or pain medicine.

03/06/2026

How many of your patients mention jaw pain, clicking, headaches or facial pain?
More than you think — and most of them aren't getting the answers they need.
TMJ disorders are one of the most undertreated conditions in clinical practice, not because practitioners don't care, but because it falls through the gap between disciplines.
Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing clinical insights into TMJ dysfunction, assessment and pain science. Follow along — this is relevant whether you're a physio, chiro, dentist or massage therapist.

Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash

28/05/2026

There's a lot of pain science CPD out there. Here's why this one is different.

Massage therapists, myotherapists and remedial practitioners are at the coal face with chronic pain patients every single day — spending up to an hour with each one. That's the perfect environment for pain science education. Yet the only options available were a $25,000 postgraduate degree or courses designed for allied health graduates. Nothing was built for our industry, at our level of qualification. So I built it.

Pain Science for Bodywork Practitioners is four modules aligned with the IASP Core Curriculum for Physical Therapists — the same content physiotherapists are trained to, delivered accessibly and affordably to our profession. It's accredited with both Massage and Myotherapy Australia and Myotherapy Association of Australia for CPD points. And because not everyone comes in with a university science background, I also wrote a bridging course (MNE101) covering first-year muscle and nerve physiology — so you can enter with confidence, not anxiety.

After 30 years treating pain patients and 20 years teaching in higher education, I built the course I wished had existed when I started.

23/05/2026