Myofascial Release

Myofascial Release, is a form of manual therapy that is aimed at releasing Myofascial (connective tissue) restrictions in the body. Myofascial Release relieves pain and restricted movement caused by constricted fascia due to injury or holding patterns in the body.

Myofascial Release is a specialized stretching technique used by physical therapists and massage therapist to treat individuals with a variety of soft tissue problems.

Myofascial Release is stretching of the fascia. Fascia is a thin tissue that covers all the organs and muscle and every fiber within each muscle of the body. The stretch is guided by feedback the therapist feels from the client’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.

Each release technique contains the same components. The therapist finds the area of tightness, then a light stretch is applied to the tight area, then the therapist waits for the tissue to relax and then increases the stretch. The process is repeated until the area is fully relaxed.

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

Myofascial Release is not massage. Myofascial Release is used to equalize muscle tension throughout the body because unequal muscle tension can compress nerves and muscles causing pain.

Myofascial Release Benefits

• Reduce pain
• Release entrapped nerves
• Relieve chronic tension
• Improve posture
• Increase the body’s range of motion
• Improve the overall health of a person’s body and mind