What is Myofascial Release?
Introduction
Myofascial Release is a treatment technique used by Physiotherapists and other practitioners to treat pain and dysfunction of the connective tissues in your body. You may have heard about Fascial treatments in the past from your physiotherapist, or perhaps you are looking to understand what Myofascial Release is and how it can help your recovery. In this post, we explain what Myofascial Release is, what fascial treatments are composed of and how you can help eliminate pain and restore motion through Myofascial therapy.
What is Myofascial Release?
Myofascial release is an effective technique used and practiced by experienced practitioners to help relieve pain and restore physical function by facilitating the release of subconscious physical and emotional bracing patterns through rehydrating the fluid around your cells and improving the mobility of your fascia (Fash-aah). Consciously and even subconsciously through trauma our bodies avoid positions in space, developing habitual movement patterns that create fascial restrictions which can exert nearly 2000 lbs per square inch of force on pain-sensitive tissues like nerves, blood vessels, and muscle. At Myofascial Release Mississauga, we practice the John Barnes approach to Myofascial Release. It is a gentle hands-on manual therapy that addresses the integrated mind-body connection between fascial restrictions and the sensation of pain. Myofascial Release typically involves application of gentle sustained pressure to any area of the body that feels hot, hard or tender, in other words, where fascial restrictions are present. Our fascia is a web of connective tissue that is continuous with every cell in the body. As a result, Myofascial Release is highly effective at treating pain and pressure in the underlying muscle, bone, vascular and nervous tissues and addressing a multitude of issues ranging from general tightness and pressure in the body to chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia or myofascial pain syndrome. Myofascial Release therapy addresses the unique fascial strain pattern of each individual. By following the body’s response to techniques, the therapist can utilize a combination of skill and intuition to follow where that person’s body requires further treatment. By applying gentle, sustained pressure slowly to the broad area of tension or restriction, Myofascial Release allows the viscosity or “stickiness” of the fluid medium the fascia is surrounded by to decrease. As the tissues rehydrate the fascia can glide more freely across and through tissues, relieving friction and tension within the tissue itself. Relieving this friction and tension results in increased mobility, decreased pain and greater ease of motion. Contrary to popular belief, fascia can not actually be “stretched” which is why Myofascial Release treatments do not involve any digging in or scraping of tissues or aggressive stretching of limbs which can sometimes create further pain and discomfort. It is for this reason, our physiotherapists at Myofascial Release Mississauga are trained in the John Barnes’ Myofascial Release Approach, a leading authority in Myofascial Release internationally.
Interested in learning more about Fascia? We recommend the following video to learn more.
How Is Myofascial Release Treatment Practiced?
Myofascial Release is used in physiotherapy sessions to help treat individuals on the spot. To identify if you are a candidate for Myofascial Release treatment, your Physiotherapist will ask you about your symptoms, observe any postural imbalances, and look for areas of pain, tightness, or tension. These areas, what many people describe as “trigger points”, may be right where you described or may be contributing to the areas of pain you experience. Your physiotherapist will be able to tell upon postural evaluation and physical assessment if fascial restrictions are present by identifying areas in the body that are stiff, hot or tender to touch as unrestricted tissue should feel pliable and glide freely when manipulated. These areas of fascial restriction create uneven lines of pull in the body and are typically found in conjunction with postural misalignment. After identifying if myofascial release is an appropriate treatment, they can begin treatment by applying gentle, manual pressure to the area where you feel pain, stiffness or tightness and to contributing areas. Through this process, the treating practitioner can help improve blood flow, nerve conduction and facilitate the release of naturally occurring anti-inflammatories. At Myofascial Release Mississauga, we can identify and holistically treat your pain and tightness. Oftentimes, the pain, tightness and tension individuals feel may be linked to a separate area in your body’s fascial network. Our physiotherapists can then help identify and alleviate the root source of this tension and tightness, thereby reducing pain by listening to your body much like a counselor might and treating the areas the practitioner is led to through physical signs. By releasing these contributing areas across your fascial system, clients often find long-lasting relief for their symptoms and pain since they are no longer pulled back into dysfunction by the straight-jacket of their fascia.
Is Myofascial Release Treatment Painful?
Myofascial Release therapy is one of the most gentle treatment approaches to fascial treatment. Your Myofascial Release treatment itself may elicit some deep stretching therapeutic discomfort. Pain after myofascial treatment is not typical, however, it is common to feel a therapeutic soreness as if you had done exercise. On rare occasions, this post-treatment soreness is more intense but doesn’t typically last beyond 48 hours.
How Can Myofascial Release Help My Recovery?
Myofascial Release can be effectively utilized to treat a variety of commonly reported symptoms and help provide relief for most individuals. Whether you suffer from chronic pain, myofascial pain syndrome, you are looking for relief of general tension, or are working towards optimizing athletic performance, myofascial release is a safe and effective technique to help provide noticeable results. For example, Myofascial Release treatment can be used to treat those with chronic headaches through the release of dural tension, bony misalignment of the skull, and other contributing factors like jaw (Temporomandicular Joint) dysfunction, tightness in muscles in the neck and head area and even pelvic injury or rotational misalignment. Those with venous insufficiency may also be good candidates for myofascial release treatment. In this case, myofascial release can help relieve aches and pains in your legs. Myofascial release is a holistic approach to address pain and can be applied in a variety of situations and across a variety of individuals suffering from chronic pain or tightness. Receiving Myofascial Release treatment does not require a prescription and your physiotherapist will be able to discuss the applicability of the technique during your visit, based on your symptoms.
What is Chronic Myofascial Pain?
Myofascial Release treatment is particularly helpful for those suffering from Chronic Myofascial Pain. What classifies as Chronic Myofascial Pain? Chronic Myofascial Pain is a term generally used by physicians to describe the presence of persistent trigger points. These are highly sensitive areas within your muscles that are painful to the touch. Chronic Myofascial Pain may, in fact, trigger pain symptoms in other areas of the body, known as referred pain. If you have Chronic Myofascial Pain, you may have an active trigger point that is always sore, it may prevent full use of the muscle area, this may lead to weakness or a decreased range of motion. Conversely, If you have a latent trigger point you may not experience pain during regular activities but it may be tender to the touch when the muscle is fatigued, strained, or injured. If you experience symptoms such as muscle weakness, tingling or stiffness, you should consult with your Physiotherapist to identify the underlying cause as it may fall within Chronic Myofascial Pain.
When Will I See Results?
At Myofascial Release Mississauga, many of our patients report a change in their symptoms in the form of pain relief or changes in mobility immediately or within hours of their first session due to changes in connective tissue tension, improvements in nerve conduction and blood flow, relieving bracing patterns and the release of the body’s own anti-inflammatories that occurs during Myofascial Release treatment. Full resolution of symptoms typically takes 4-6 weeks of regular treatment and self-care as prescribed and up to 6 months depending on the severity of the injury. Client’s suffering from chronic conditions sometimes choose to schedule regular ongoing appointments to maintain their results.
Is Myofascial Release Treatment Covered by Insurance?
At Myofascial Release Mississauga, we provide Myofascial Release as a technique within our Physiotherapy services. Most private and extended health benefit plans will cover Physiotherapy. Please note, we do not directly bill to insurance companies and payment for services at Myofascial Release Mississauga are due at the time of rendering. However, we will provide you with an invoice to submit to your insurance provider post-treatment for coverage.
Interested in Booking A Myofascial Release Treatment?
If you are interested in pursuing myofascial release treatment, you can book your appointment directly online through the following link, under our Physiotherapy section. Or, you may call us directly at 289-529-0309 to book directly with our staff.
