Myofascial Release
About Myofascial Release
- Effectively reduces painful muscle spasms that can restrict your movement.
- Ideal for relief of back pain and neck pain.
- Often used as treatment for alleviating stress related pain.
- Safe, natural form of therapy.
- Also may provide relief from jaw related pain.
- Myofascial stretching can be effective for muscle pain related to cerebral palsy.
What is Myofascial Release
Myofascial release is a soft tissue therapy that involves a mix of massage and gentle long strokes to release the tightness in the fascia or connective tissue that surrounds muscles and other systems in the body.
As in most body tissues, irritation of the fascia or muscle causes local inflammation. Chronic and prolonged inflammation results in fibrosis, or the thickening of the connective tissue.
This thickening, in turn, causes pain and irritation, resulting in reflexive muscle tension that further aggravates the inflammation. This way, the cycle creates a positive feedback loop and can result in dysfunctions even in the absence of the original injury.
Myofascial restrictions arise due to high amount of pressure exerted on the bones, nerves, blood vessels and muscles which result in headaches, limited mobility, pain and disease.
pt Health clinics offer an approach to Myofascial release that is safe, hands-on, and helps remove painful pressure in affected areas, thereby allowing the body to naturally heal and function properly.
How it Helps
Myofascial release is an effective hands-on technique that works in the form of sustained pressure into myofascial restrictions to remove pain and result in unrestricted motion. The fascial system is connective tissue similar to the web of a spider.
The fascia is densely woven and covers every bone, muscle, artery, vein and internal organs of our body. It is one structure that moves from head to foot without interruption. We can safely say that every part of our body is interconnected with the other by the fascia like the yarn in a sweater.
The organs in our body would not be stable, were it not for the constant pull, flexibility and support of fascia. If our bones are tent poles, then the fascia are like wires or ropes that create the right tension to let the tent (body) remain upright and balanced.
In the state of normal health, the fascia is relaxed and has a wavy pattern. When we experience injury, scarring, physical trauma and infection, the fascia loses its flexibility and stretch-ability. It becomes restricted and taut.
Repetitive stress injuries and poor posture can lead to more worries. It is normal for us to have fascia related problems, which unfortunately adds to the pain and intensity of the injury or illness. As a result, our body functioning is altered and we experience discomfort in movement.
Myofascial release makes use of hands-on therapy and massage to correct the myofascial system so that we get freedom from pain and are able to enjoy the unrestricted motion of our body.
Coverage Options
pt Health therapy services are covered by most extended health insurance companies and in some cases Veterans Affairs and Medicare – such as OHIP (Ontario), Alberta Health Care and Medical Service Plan MSP (British Columbia). Not sure if you’re covered? No problem. We can help you find out (and usually within the hour). Just call us toll free at 1-866-749-7461.
At pt Health we believe your health should come first. We take care of the paperwork so you can focus on getting better, plus we offer direct insurance billing, saving you time and up front costs.
Ready to feel your best? Schedule an appointment at any one of our convenient locations near you or BOOK ONLINE!
Research
1. The International Journal of Orofacial Myology has published a research summary that discusses the effectiveness of the treatment in craniomandibular pain and dysfunction.
2. The Clinical Importance of Active Scars written by Karel Lewit and Sarka Olsanska studied treatment of active scars through soft tissue manipulation from myofascial release.
3. A 1999 study in the ‘New England Journal of Medicine’, deduced that osteopathic spinal manipulation in the form myofascial release, was as effective as standard therapy for back-pain but without the need for patient to resort to costly painkillers that have side-effects.