What is Myofascial Release and Integrated Myofascial Therapy?

Myofascial Release (MFR) is the core component of Integrated Myofascial Therapy

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Myofascial Release (MFR) is fast gaining recognition as the missing link in traditional healthcare.

Possibly the most well known current pioneered of MFR is John F Barnes. Physical Therapist who has trained over 50,000 therapists in his approach.

He has become known as the world’s leading authority on MFR and was named one of the ‘stars of the century’ by the Massage Magazine in 2000. Other leaders in the field include Ida Rolf, John Upledger, Thomas Myers, Robert King and Leon Chaoitow.

Both Ruth Duncan and Mary Cunningham have trained with the John F Barnes MFR Seminars in the US and also practice MFR extensively in their own treatment centres.

Whilst MFR has existed in various forms for approximately 50-60 years scientific research and the use of electron microscopes has enabled therapists to refine this work and understand the nature of the fascial system and the important role to plays in health.

As the journey into the human body continues new discoveries are being made to highlight the likes of MFR as a primary treatment for physical and emotional pain and discomfort.

Dr Ervin Laszlo's book 'Science in the Akashic Field', Lynne McTaggart's book 'The Field' and Dr James Oschman's book 'Energy Medicine in Therapeutics and Human Performance' all discuss the nature of the human body, it's electromagnetic qualities and information that the entire organism of the human body acts as one and not separate as previously thought. Dr Lazlo states that the living organism is not a mere biochemical machine but a living organism, dynamic and fluid with all components in instant and continuous communication, could he be describing the fascial network?

Myofascial (pronounced Myo fashal ) is derived from the Latin words 'myo' for muscle and 'fascia' for band. Fascia, sometimes called fibrous bands or connective tissue, is a 3D continuous web of microscopic hollow tubules that extends without interruption from the top of the head to the tip of the toes. Within these hollow tubules are continuous fibres of elastin and collagen surrounded by a fluid called the ground substance. This network also provides the instant and continuous communication between each and every cell of our body that Dr Lazlo describes.

Fascia surrounds, infuses and protects every other tissue, tendon, muscle, bone, ligament and organ of the body. In healthy conditions the fascial system is relaxed and wavy in configuration. This provides a cushioning and supportive mechanism allowing us to move safely without restriction or pain. Collagen and elastin, fascias 2 main components, allow it to be very strong yet have a high degree of flexibility. Fascia is also dynamic in nature, it responds to internal and external forces applied on it meeting the resistance in order to protect.

Following all physical and emotional trauma and through poor posture, fascia scars and hardens in the affected site and along the tension lines imposed on it. This causes the fascial network to lose its cushioning mechanism and internal structures become pulled out of alignment. This in turn creates an abnormal pressure, up to 2,000 pounds per square inch, crushing nerves, blood and lymphatic vessels and further creating tension on adjacent pain-sensitive structures and those along the fascial pull.

Fascia can be described like a 3D sweater, when the fascial network is traumatized it is pulled and twisted out of alignment rather like a pull in the sweater. Therefore, if the fascia has tightened creating bands of tension 3 dimensionally throughout the body resulting in symptoms distant to the injury then all the appropriate localized treatments will produce limited or temporary results.
Fascial restrictions do not show up on CAT scans, MRI's or X Rays therefore many patients are suffering unresolved physical and emotional pain due to undiagnosed fascial trauma.
Conditions are a label for a symptom. Traditional healthcare treats the symptom, MFR with it's whole body approach treats the cause at the deepest level.

Myofascial Release Therapy, like many alternative therapies, promotes the philosophy that the mind and body work together to maintain health. Effectively this supports the understanding that the mind and body are one and the same. The body has the ability to remember postural positions, actions and emotions without the brain reminding it to do so. Through out the body's fascial system flow microscopic cells containing energy which have the ability to retain memory.

It could also be said that our unconscious mind is not restricted to the brain but flows freely through our body within the fascial system. Simply put, our body remembers how to lift a cup,drive a car and walk without thinking.

If our body can remember positive actions and emotions then it must be true that we can also remember negative ones. Memories, both physical and emotional, can be triggered by a state of mind, context and by body position.

Therapists are taught to feel and stretch slowly into the fascial network. Collagen means glue producer so therapists are taught to feel for this glue like texture which when dense, thick or hard defines a fascial restriction. The MFR technique is very different to that of massaging muscles, tendons and the ligaments of the body. A time component also exists, coupled with the fluidity of the therapists hands in applying pressure and moving though each and every fascial restriction. The time element is a vital factor, the fascia cannot be forced as it will naturally meet that force in return. Hence the MFR therapist provides a sustained, gentle, pressure for a minimum of 90 to 120 seconds allowing the fascia to elongate naturally and return to it's normal resting length restoring health and providing results that are both measurable and functional.

Sometimes memories can become locked into the fascial system and manifest themselves in physical pain. With the help of MFR the physical and emotional content of any injury, literal or symbolic, can be addressed in a safe and gentle way.

MFR also treats the injury at source allowing the patient to heal at the deepest level.
Myofascial Release Therapy is a specialised physical therapy that affects and releases the restrictions within the fascial network.

The therapy is an art form. The MFR therapist not only takes in to consideration what they see in the patients postural assessment but works directly with what they feel and sense from palpating and treating the body.

Even though the patient may not feel much happening the experienced Therapist can actually feel the fascial restrictions, where they go to and subsequently feels the release of those restrictions during the session.

Myofascial Unwinding

Through gentle sustained pressure into the fascial system with Myofascial Release techniques the body begins to unwind as the fascial system releases its traction or twists on the body. Some patients feel their body becoming lighter or begin to twitch or feel their body moving during treatment. This is a natural process and is our body's own inherent self correcting mechanism. Patients will be encouraged to allow this to happen and to become more aware of what they are feeling during treatment to assist the process and ultimately take control of their health.

Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) is a painful musculoskeletal condition that is characterized by the development of Myofascial trigger points

Fibromyalgia and MPS are common diagnoses of unresolved pain and discomfort. Research and treatment of these painful conditions heighten the need for appropriate training and treatment of the myofascial system.

Many Chronic Pain Conditions are caused by Myofascial Trigger Points.

A Trigger Point is a hyperirritable spot located in a taught band of skeletal muscle. When the muscle is in a state of traumatic dysfunction (poor posture, injury or inflammation) the hyperirritable trigger point will produce a local pain and also pain in a referred pattern. These patterns have been extensively researched and mapped by Doctors Travell and Simons, authors of ‘Myofascial Pain and Discomfort, The Trigger Point Manual’

Patients may have regional, persistent pain resulting in a decreased range of motion in the affected muscles. Palpation of the trigger point will elicit pain directly over the affected area and/or cause radiation of pain toward a zone of reference sometimes creating a local muscular twitch response.

Trigger points are also common causes of headaches, jaw pain, sciatica, sinusitis and low back pain.

Trigger Point Therapy vs Myofascial Release.

Trigger Point Therapy is an approach used to find the hyperirritable spots that are creating the referred pain pattern and deactivate them by use of dry needling, vapo-coolant (stretch and spray) and the more common approach of ischaemic compression applied by the therapists fingers.

Whilst Trigger Point Therapy is an effective treatment approach for the musculoskeletal pain caused by the trigger point it only treats the symptomatic trigger point and its refereed pain pattern, hence treating only the symptom but not the cause. Trigger Point Therapy can be very painful to receive and may only produce limited results as the reason for the trigger point formation is not being addressed. For those therapists using digit ischaemic compression, application of this treatment can also be debilitating.

A trigger point is a symptom of a fascial restriction and functional and structural imbalance that occurs when a muscle becomes dysfunctional.

Myofascial Release Therapy is a safe, and effective treatment that not only deactivates the trigger point but also releases the fascial restrictions throughout the body that harbour them.