What is Myofascial Release?
Myofascial Release (MFR) is a technique that works on the fascia around the muscles as opposed to massage which works on the muscles themselves. Fascia is a continuous tissue throughout the body which covers, separates and joins all the parts from bones and muscles right down to cells.
When it is healthy it is fluid and hydrated but when it is damaged it dehydrates and hardens, causing adhesions to the underlying tissue.
As a Massage Therapist, my interest is the fascia around the muscles and how problems in the fascial layer may affect the muscles ability to function and, importantly, heal.
However, because fascia is continuous, what is especially interesting is how restriction in one area can impact on a completely different part of the body.
Fascial restriction may be involved in problems such as-
- Pain from injuries e.g. Whiplash, Sports
- Repetitive strain problems - RSI, Carpal Tunnel, Texters/Gamers thumb, Tennis/Golfers Elbow
- Rotator Cuff problems e.g Frozen Shoulder, 'Tendonitis',
- Stress induced muscle tension including Headaches, Shoulder/Back Pain
Muscles will also be involved, but without working on the fascia, the muscle will never be able to heal properly as it will be restricted by its fascial binding. If you have a pain that seems to ease after treatment but just keeps coming back, it probably requires some fascial work to allow it to fully release and heal.
A MFR treatment can be combined with massage but is also a stand alone treatment. No oil or wax is used in MFR, and it can vary from extremely light work to quite deep which can feel temporarily uncomfortable as the fascia releases.
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