What is Myofascial Release
Myofascial release is a type of physical therapy often used to treat myofascial pain syndrome. Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic pain disorder caused by sensitivity and tightness in your myofascial tissues. These tissues surround and support the muscles throughout your body. The pain usually originates from specific points within your myofascial tissues called “trigger points.”
Myofascial release focuses on reducing pain by easing the tension and tightness in the trigger points. It’s not always easy to understand what trigger point is responsible for the pain. Localizing pain to a specific trigger point is very difficult. For that reason, myofascial release is often used over a broad area of muscle and tissue rather than at single points.
Your therapist will gently massage the myofascia and feel for stiff or tightened areas. Normal fascia should feel pliable and elastic. The therapist will begin stretching the areas that feel rigid with light manual pressure. The therapist then aids the tissue and supportive sheath in releasing pressure and tightness. The process is repeated multiple times on the same trigger point and on other trigger points until the therapist feels the tension is fully released.
The areas where the therapist is working may not be near where the pain originates or where you feel the pain most prominently. Myofascial release works the broader network of muscles that might be causing your pain. It tries to reduce tension throughout your body by releasing trigger points across a broad section of your muscular system.
Who Would Benefit?
Patients experiencing
- pain/whiplash/ compression injury
- stiff and tight muscles
- stress induced pain
- Limited ROM
- Migraines
- chronic headaches
- Sinus Pressure
- Lymphedema Drainage issues
- Muscle spasms
- Trigger Points
- Venous insufficiency
- Scar tissue
- Post surgical
