Enhanced Movement and Pain Relief

Myofascial Release, or “MFR,” is a gentle, safe and highly effective, whole body, "hands on" treatment technique that provides sustained pressure into restrictions to eliminate pain and restore motion. MFR utilizes varying pressure from heavy to light to eliminate pain and restore motion as well as deepen the relaxation response. It also allows the body to release holding patterns and is used to treat pain due to trauma, such as a fall, whiplash or surgery which can cause tight areas in the fascia as well as chronic neck, back and sciatic pain. It is also used to treat arthritis, fibromyalgia, TMJ, scarring and lymphedema, just to name a few. This system is also affected by repetitive motions or just habitual poor posture over time, which have a cumulative effect.

It is important to understand the fascial system. Myo, means muscle, and fascia (pronounced “fasha”) is the connective tissue. The fascia is a specialized system of the body that has an appearance similar to a spider's web or a sweater. Fascia is very densely woven, covering and interpenetrating every muscle, bone, nerve, artery and vein as well as all of our internal organs including heart, lungs, brain and spinal cord. The most interesting aspect of the fascial system is that it is not just a system of separate coverings, but one structure that exists from head to foot without interruption. Each part of the entire body is connected to every other part by the fascia, like the yarn in a sweater.

Fascia also supports the body since it surrounds and attaches to all structures with a constant pull that provides stability. The changes caused in the fascial system influence our skeletal framework and posture. The bones can be thought of as tent poles, which cannot support the structure without the constant support of the guide wires (or fascia) which keep an adequate amount of tension to allow the tent (or body) to remain upright. The focus needs to be on the whole body rather than just the injured part. Often the problem is located in a different place than the pain is.

Patients may be seen one-on-one with a therapist or may opt for co-treatments with two therapists. During these hands-on treatments, therapists may use other manual techniques and movement therapy. The patient is an active participant in the treatment program. Each patient is given a home program to maximize benefit from therapy. This promotes independence through education in proper body mechanics, enhancement of strength, flexibility as well as postural and movement awareness.

#health