Article Index - Myofascial Release
 
What is Myofascial Release and How Does it Work?
 
Myofascial Release (MFR) is a whole body, hands-on approach to healthcare. It is a mild and gentle form of stretching that has a profound effect upon the body. A slow gentle pressure allows the body's tissue to reorganise without force, release physical restrictions and release the body's unconscious holding and bracing patterns.
 
Myo means muscle and fascia means band. Fascia, or connective tissue, is a 3D continuous web that extends without interruption throughout the body. It is composed of two main types of fibres, collagen and elastin, that promote strength and flexibility. It is dynamic in nature and changes and conforms to pressures applied to it. It meets resistance in order to protect and support the human frame. Fascia is prominently vertical in orientation and surrounds, infuses and protects every other tissue and organ of the body. When healthy, the fascial system is relaxed, providing a supportive cushioning mechanism allowing us to move safely without restriction or pain. Following all physical and emotional injury, and through poor posture, fascia scars and hardens in the affected site and along the tension lines imposed on it. As the fascial system is completely continuous then any injury will compromise the whole structure. Once injured, fascia twists and pulls, like the pull in a jumper, creating a spider web effect of tension throughout the system. This tension can exert a pressure of up to 2,000 pounds per square inch crushing and impinging important structures like the dural tube, organs, and the circulatory, nerve and lymphatic systems. The fascial tension can also affect the alignment of the skeletal and muscular system all of which create on-going physical and emotional tension and pain.
 
Over time these twists and pulls create a devastating effect on the body. It is not uncommon for patients to complain of a symptom in one area of the body that may have originated elsewhere. As the body tries to compensate for the restrictions, further imbalance and tension occurs. This is one of the main reasons we experience on-going physical and emotional discomfort when the whole body remains un-treated. Many people don't recognise that their body is being compromised by fascial pulls as these pulls happen so gradually. However there is usually 'the last straw that breaks the camel's back' and the body is no longer able to support the structure without pain. It is therefore important for the Myofascial Practitioner to treat not just the injury but to treat the body as a whole and the whole fascial history.
 
Fascial restrictions do not show up on any X Ray, MRI or CAT scan and patients may complain of bizarre pain and discomfort that can remain undiagnosed and subsequently, and unfortunately, may remain untreated within traditional healthcare systems. 'Health is not only about feeling better but getting better at feeling' (John F Barnes)
 
The body remembers
The body and mind are one and the same and have the subconscious ability to associate postural positions, actions and emotions to a memory. It also subconsciously constructs and memorises habit and bracing patterns in order to protect itself from physical and emotional pain and discomfort. This creates further fascial restrictions inhibiting the free flow of the subconscious mind throughout the body. Therefore the experiences we are compensating for become locked within the fascial system, without our awareness, maintaining body/mind dysfunction and increasing pain and discomfort. Without awareness there is no choice.
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 releases the restrictions within the fascial network, allowing valuable subconscious information to be released into awareness where it can be resolved in order to restore health.
 
A sense of art
MFR is an art form. The MFR Practitioner not only takes into consideration what they see in the patient's postural assessment but works directly with what they feel and sense from palpating and treating the body. They feel for the fascial restrictions and follow them to source, treating the cause and not merely the symptom. One of the important jobs of the fascial system is to meet resistance. When a force is applied to the system the fascial network meets that resistance in order to protect. The fascial network responds and releases to the Piezoelectric effect, a low load pressure over a sustained length of time. Therefore MFR should never force the fascial network but instead work slowly through the layers of restriction. It takes approximately 90 seconds for the fascial network to respond to the slow gentle pressure applied to it and a fascial release can take anywhere between 3 to 5 minutes, sometimes longer.
The fascial system is 3D, therefore we treat in a 3D manner. No patient ever injured themselves lying flat, motionless, on a massage table. Every patient's fascial restrictions are unique, therefore we treat each patient in a unique, 3D, way. MFR is not bound by protocols or structured techniques. It is rather an exploratory journey feeling, sensing, palpating and ultimately facilitating the release of restricted tissues that may have been tight and which have possibly been creating pain and dysfunction for years.
 
MFR is so gentle it allows the body/mind to reorganise itself and unwind its own tractions or twists. Some patients feel their body becoming lighter, twitch or feel their body move during treatment. This is a natural process and is our body's own inherent self-correcting mechanism which unravels the tension and restriction in a natural way. Patients are 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.
 
How to access the Fascial Network using the arms and legs as levers
If the fascial system is completely connected then we can work the whole system using the body as a lever.
 
Treating the body with an arm or leg pull is an effective tool for assessing the body's fascial pulls and restrictions. It is also a way to introduce MFR to a patient, particularly those who are in pain or who are anxious about treatment. As the therapist it is important at all times to maintain a high level of softness and flow in your own body as resistance will diminish sensitivity in picking up the subtlety of the patient's fascial voice.
 
Completing arm and leg pull techniques may take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes and sometimes longer depending on the fascial restrictions. Always treat within painless range of motion and treat each patient in a unique fascial way.
 
Arm pull technique
An arm pull can assist in the treatment of not only the arm, finger, wrist and shoulder but also the fascial restrictions and fascial pull throughout the entire body.
 
Patient lies supine with their arm lying at their side.
Hold the wrist/lower arm or elbow gently and slowly externally rotate the arm until you feel the smoothness of the movement change to a more sluggish movement. This is the first level of restriction. Hold at this barrier.
Next slowly abduct the arm until you feel the smooth movement change. Hold at this barrier.
Next, gently and slowly traction the arm until you meet restriction and also hold at this barrier. We are now treating the body 3D.
Feel into the body and maintain your gentle 3D traction. We must always meet the resistance and never force the barrier.
Gradually you will feel the arm soften and you will be able to take up a little more slack, in any or all of the 3D tractions.
This may take anywhere between 3-5 minutes. Follow the releases, slowly and gently into full circumduction, or within painless range of motion.
 
With the arm above the patient's head you can access into the chest area, back and pelvis and further on down into the legs. By placing the arm down next to the body you can release up into the neck, shoulder, face and TMJ.
 
As you traction the arm over the patient's head move into adduction and flexion with trunk rotation and grasp the medial border of the scapula and apply a lateral pull whilst continuing the arm traction. This position allows a release through the upper back, shoulder and neck area.
 
Always return the arm back through its entire range slowly.
 
Leg pull technique
Patient lies supine with the therapist at the foot of the table. The leg pull uses the same concepts as the arm pull techniques
 
Gentle pick up the leg at the foot/ankle or lower leg and slowly externally rotate to the first barrier whilst dorsiflexing the foot.
Gently abduct the leg to the barrier and hold.
Next, gently traction the leg to meet resistance.
Slowly and gently feel for the fascial releases and follow them through abduction then adding in leg flexion whilst maintaining dorsiflexion, all of which must be within a painless range of motion. Return the leg back through its full range maintaining traction and dorsiflexion.
 
Next internally rotate the leg and gently adduct to the first fascial barrier.
This position will pull into the hip and the patient will move into trunk rotation. This position will gently release the low back, sacroiliac joint areas and hip. Slowly return the leg back through its range to neutral whilst maintaining traction and dorsiflexion.
 
Contraindications
Contraindications such as malignancy, aneurysm and acute rheumatoid arthritis may be considered absolute, while others such as Haematoma, open wounds, healing fractures, etc. may be regional.
1 Malignancy
2 Open wounds
3 Cellulitis
4 Sutures
5 Febrile State
6 Haematoma
7 Systemic or localised infection
8 Healing fracture
9 Acute circulatory condition
10 Osteomyelitis
11 Degenerative Changes
12 Aneursym
13 Anticoagulant Therapy
14 Obstructive Oedema
15 Advanced Diabetes
16 Acute Rheumatoid arthritis
17 Skin hypersensitivity
 
Always perform a thorough patient history and always refer the patient back to their GP/Doctor if you are in any doubt as to contraindications for MFR treatment and also if their condition persists. Please refer to your own code of practice.
 
Myofascial Release Training In The UK
Integrated Myofascial Release Therapy © (iMFT) is available as 5 experiential weekend workshops, where each workshop builds on the previous. These workshops provide advanced fascial release techniques that can be easily and immediately integrated into your existing practice. iMFT is presented by Mary Cunningham, Advanced MFR Practitioner and Physical Bodywork Therapist (M.I.A.P.T) and Ruth Duncan, Advanced Massage and Myofascial Practitioner and Clinical Hypnotherapist. Both Ruth and Mary have trained with John F Barnes and Ruth also assists with the JFB MFR seminars in the US.
 
JFB MFR is very different to traditional MFR or soft tissue mobilisation. By adding these valuable fascial release techniques to your treatments you will change the way you view, feel and assess your patients and you will create structural change that is both measurable and functional.
 
© For further information and to contact your local iMFT therapist visit www.Myofascialrelease.co.uk or call 0845 602 6274.
 
To find your local JFB MFR therapist call 0845 602 6274 or e-mail Ruth@Myofascialrelease.co.uk
 
Reference. Myofascial Release, The Search For Excellence.John F Barnes. P.T.
 
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