When doing bodywork, you can use different techniques for different reasons. Today I want to focus on Myofascial Therapy. I find I use this therapy on a daily basis and get a great result with it. Myo stands for muscle and fascial stands for connective tissue, so the myofascial is the connective tissue to the muscle. This is a very thin layer of tissue that tends to react to changes in the weather and to stress. Due to the fact it is not muscle, it responds differently than muscles. By addressing the fascia before diving into the muscle, you are able to soften tissue and reduce pain.
The therapy that is used to work with the fascia is stretching of the skin. This is not deep work at all. By staying at the level of skin you anchor with one hand and stretch with the other. Holding this stretch for 90 seconds or more will give enough time for the fascia to release. For the therapist, it will feel like taffy stretching but very subtle. For the client, it will feel almost like a burning or pinching of the tissue. The key is that you do not drag your hands along the skin, you hold and stretch the skin.
Myofascial Therapy can be used for not only tight muscles but also for scars. Most treatment for scars is cross friction, but I have found that the cologne has anchored into the fascia and by stretching along the scar, the tissues soften and become pliable. This treatment is also used for plastic surgery recovery. After liposuction, large areas of the tissue have been affected and lymphatic fluid pools under the skin. Myofascial therapy is great for spreading the tissues and opening pathways for fluid to flow and new lymph vessels and blood capillaries to grow.
It is important for your therapist to know soft tissue issues in order for you to get the best bodywork for your condition. Working in layers not only helps you reach your health goal but also helps the therapist address the multiple tissue issues to resolve the problem. Myofascial Therapy is a very safe technique that can have a profound effect on your healing.