Myofascial Release

Let’s start off by talking about fascia.  What is it? .. and why can it be so important when discussing pain, especially chronic pain (lasting longer than 3 months)

What is Fascia?

                                                                                                                                                                                                            Fascia as seen under a microscope

Fascia is a layer of tissue that surrounds and connects all parts of our body - muscles, bones, organs, nerves, you name it.  Where muscles are meant to contract and move our body, fascia is meant to provide support.  Fascia can become restricted for a number of different reasons - injury, generalized inflammation, surgery, poor posture over time…. When we develop a restriction it can put an immense amount of pressure on our nerves, contributing to pain or discomfort.  In fact, these restrictions can produce tensile pressures of approximately 2,000 pounds per square inch that do not show up in many of the standard tests (x-rays, myelograms, CAT scans, electromyography, etc.). The tough part is we can’t stretch fascia like we stretch a tight muscle.  We need to reframe the way we think about stretching to encompass a low load over a longer period of time to regain that flexibility.

This picture below shows the skin, fascia and inner muscle layer. Fascia encompasses every part of our body - every muscle, organ, nerve, and blood vessel. It even surrounds the individual fibers of every muscle!

Myofascial Release

This is a gentle, painless form of manual therapy that releases fascial restrictions throughout the body helping to improve mobility and discomfort.  You may have heard of myofascial release before.  That term can get thrown around a lot.  Procedures such as cupping or guasha (IASTM - instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization) can be very helpful with fascia, but more in a localized area.  The same goes for using a foam roller.

The John Barnes approach for myofascial release can be incredibly effective in treating the whole body in a lasting approach that muscle stretching and traditional massage can’t provide when symptoms become so chronic.

Would you like to learn more?

The MFR website can be a great resource to learn more about myofascial release and includes good articles.