Nov 14

Return to a Pain Free, Active Lifestyle with Myofacial Release Therapy

What is Myofascial Release:

Myofascial Release is not massage. Myofascial Release is used to equalize muscle tension throughout the body. Unequal muscle tension can compress nerves and muscles causing pain. Progress is measured by a decrease in the patient’s pain and by an improvement in overall posture.

Myofascial Release is a highly specialized stretching technique used by therapists to treat clients with a variety of soft tissue problems. Fascia is the soft tissue component of the connective tissue that provides support and protection for most structures within the human body, including muscle. Soft tissue can become restricted due to disease, overuse, trauma, infectious agents, or inactivity, often resulting in pain, muscle tension, and corresponding diminished blood flow.

When muscle fibers are injured, the fibers and the fascia which surrounds it become short and tight. This uneven stress can be transmitted through the fascia to other parts of the body, causing pain and a variety of other symptoms in areas you often wouldn’t expect. Myofascial Release treats these symptoms by releasing the uneven tightness in injured fascia.

In other words, Myofascial Release is stretching of the fascia. The stretch is guided by feedback the therapist feels from the patient’s body. This feedback tells the therapist how much force to use, the direction of the stretch and how long to stretch. Small areas of muscle are stretched at a time. Sometimes the therapist uses only two fingers to stretch a small part of a muscle. The feedback the therapist feels determines which muscles are stretched and in what order.

Each Myofascial Release technique contains the same components. The physical therapist finds the area of tightness. A light stretch is applied to the tight area. The therapist waits for the tissue to relax and then increases the stretch. The process is repeated until the area is fully relaxed. Then, the next area is stretched.

The therapist will be able to find sore spots just by feel. Often, patients are unable to pinpoint some sore spots or have grown used to them until the physical therapist finds them. The size and sensitivity of these sore spots, called Myofascial Trigger Points, will decrease with treatment.

Most clients are surprised by how gentle Myofascial Release is. Some patients fall asleep during treatment. Others later go home and take a nap. Most clients find Myofascial Release to be a very relaxing form of treatment.

Types of Myofascial Release

Direct Myofascial Release:
The direct myofascial release (or deep tissue work) method engages the myofascial tissue “restrictive barrier” (tension). The tissue is loaded with a constant force until release occurs. Therapists will use knuckles, elbows, or other tools to slowly stretch the restricted fascia. Direct myofascial release is an attempt to bring about changes in the myofascial structures by stretching or elongation of fascia, or mobilizing adhesive tissues. The therapist moves slowly through the layers of the fascia until the deep tissues are reached.

Indirect Myofascial Release:
The indirect method involves a gentle stretch, which allows the fascia to ‘unwind’ itself.

Who can benefit from Myofascial Release?

Myofascial Release requires intense one-on-one treatment time. Myofascial Release is highly effective in treating the following diagnoses:

Back strain, chronic back pain, low back pain, thoracic back pain
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Chronic cervical pain
Complex pain complaints
Dizziness, vertigo
Fibromyalgia
Headache/Migraines
Myofascial pain dysfunction
Plantar fasciitis
Post-Polio symptoms
Thoracic outlet syndrome
TMJ dysfunction
Trigger points, tender points *
Whiplash
Neck Pain
Sports Injuries
Disc Problems
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Neurological Dysfunction
Chronic Pain and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Scoliosis
Sciatica
Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Women-specific Health Issues like: Interstitial Cystitis, Mastectomy Pain, Menstrual Problems, Painful Intercourse, Urinary Frequency, Problematic Breast Implant/Reduction Scars, Endometriosis

* Trigger Points and tender points cause different types of pain. For example, a Trigger Point in the neck muscles can cause headaches, the sensation of your throat closing or eye pain. Pressure on a Trigger Point causes increased pain at the site and radiating pain in other apparently unrelated parts of the body. Pressure on a tender point causes increased pain only at the tender point itself.

What to expect after a Myofacial Release Session:

You must drink an additional gallon of fluid (water) above and beyond your normal intake both on the day of treatment and for one to two days afterwards to prevent excessive soreness. If you feel like you’re coming down with the flu or if you feel nauseated, you haven’t had enough to drink.

While you’re being treated with Myofascial Release, your improvement won’t progress in a straight line. Rather, your progress will zigzag; for some, it’s more like riding a roller coaster. Although you may feel like you’re taking two steps forward and one step back, you will be making progress.

Don’t get discouraged — you will improve! This zigzag progress happens because your brain takes time to accept changes in the posture and muscle tension that it recognizes as “normal” for you. As your muscle tension and posture are changed by treatment, your brain will gradually accept these changes as your “new normal.” It is very important to continue your custom treatment package for the best results.

Recovery & Pain Management Massage Therapy

This type of therapy treats the fascial system using gentle pressure application where fascial restrictions are found on the body. This therapy is used to treat trauma, restriction of motion or inflamed pressure that influence a fascial damaged area and produces pain and discomfort that might be found in back pain, fibromyalgia, TMJ, restricted motion, spasm and much more.

60 Minutes / $115 +, 70 Minute / $125 +, 90 Minute / $150 +