"Myofascial Release - Scalene Anterior Muscle"

What is Myofascial Release?

An Introduction for The Client

Myofascial release is usually an extremely mild and light form of stretching that has a profound effect upon the body tissues. Because it is somewhat different from more well-known, traditional therapies, clients often ask questions for example, “What is myofascial release therapy and how does it work?”

Here are a few definitions of myofascial release.

The myofascial release technique is a form of soft tissue therapy used to treat somatic dysfunction and resulting pain and restriction of motion. It is a treatment described by Andrew Taylor Still, founder of osteopathy/osteopathic medicine, and his early students, which uses continual palpatory feedback to achieve release of myofascial tissues.

This is accomplished by relaxing contracted muscles, increasing circulation and lymphatic drainage, and stimulating the stretch reflex of muscles and overlying fascia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myofascial_release)

According to John Barnes PT:

“Myofascial Release is a safe and very effective hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure into the Myofascial connective tissue restrictions to eliminate pain and restore motion. This essential “time element” has to do with the viscous flow and the piezoelectric phenomenon: a low load (gentle pressure) applied slowly will allow a viscoelastic medium (fascia) to elongate.” (myofascialrelease.com)

Before we continue it is important for you to have an understanding of fascia. The simplest way to explain fascia is think of it as a covering like saran wrap.

FASCIA

Fascia is part of the connective tissue system to which relatively a small amount attention has been given in the past. Fascia consists of two kinds of fibers: collagenous fibers, which are very tough with little or no elasticity, and elastic fibers, which can be stretchable.

From the functional point of view, the body fascia may be thought to be a nonstop laminated sheet of connective tissue that extends without interruption from the top of the head to the tips of the toes. Picture either a spider web or saran wrap covering the body from head to toe.

It surrounds and permeates every other tissue and organ of the body, including nerves, vessels, muscle and bone. Fascia is denser in some areas than others. Dense fascia is definitely recognizable and looks like the tough white membrane that we often find surrounding butchered meat.

Specific myofascial release therapy techniques allow the therapist to soften the fascia, thus giving some pain relief and increasing range of motion.

Here are a few thoughts from Carol Manheim:

• Fascia covers all organs of the body, muscle and fascia cannot be separated

• All muscle stretching is fascia stretching

• Release of myofascial restrictions can affect other body organs through a release of tension in the whole fascia system

• Myofascial release techniques work even though the exact mechanism is not fully understood.

Injury to the Fascia

Injury, inflammation, disease, surgery and excess strain can cause the fascia to scar and harden. This can cause tension in not only adjacent, pain-sensitive structures but in other spots of the body as well. This is because of the complete integration of fascia with all the other systems.

Some clients have extremely unusual pain symptoms that seem to be unrelated to the original or primary complaint. These seemingly unexplainable symptoms can now often be understood with a greater understanding of the fascial system.

Anatomy of the Fascia

During myofascial release therapy treatments, you may be treated in areas that you may not think are associated with your circumstance.

The trained professional has a thorough understanding of the fascial system and will release the fascia in areas that have a strong drag on your area of injury. This is a whole body approach to treatment.

An excellent example is the chronic low back pain client; although the low back is the primary area of injury, the client may even have significant discomfort in the neck. This is as a result of gradual tightening of the muscles and especially of the fascia as the tightness creeps its way up the back, eventually creating neck and head pain.

Experience shows that optimal recovery of the low back pain requires release of the fascia of both the head and neck. If the neck tightness is not also released, it will still apply a downward drag until fascial restriction and pain returns to the low back. Thus the need for myofascial release.

Muscle provides the best bulk of our body’s soft tissue. Because all muscle is enveloped by and ingrained with fascia, myofascial release is the term that has been given to the techniques that are used to relieve soft tissue from the abnormal grip of tight fascia.
 

Myofascial Release Treatment vs Traditional Treatment Methods

Traditional treatment methods such as hot/cold applications, ultrasound and chiropractic adjustments do not affect the fascial system broadly, and therefore can sometimes produce only temporary symptomatic changes.

As a client you are understandably focused on your “symptoms” because they are a starting place of pain and discomfort and “scream” at you.

But it is very important that those assisting you with your health-care have a broader focus and encourage you to do the same because, sorry to say, it isn’t as clear as you would like.

The considerable greater part of the time the cause of your symptom is not the site of the symptom for the reason that of the nature of the fascial system.

Unfortunately, most of the treatments available to us, whether conventional or alternative are often “symptom” oriented and consequently miss the grade leaving you with a temporary band-aide and temporary relief.

Myofascial release therapy is a structural method that treats the CAUSE of the problem and not only the symptoms and this is what makes sustained lasting results.
 

What is Myofascial Release Therapy?

Myofascial release therapy is the type of treatment that specifically uses myofascial release techniques for client care.
 

Indirect and Direct Myofascial Release

A myofascial therapist performs indirect, direct myofascial therapy or combination of both myofascial techniques to assist their client’s recovery.

Other myofascial techniques are modified forms of direct or indirect myofascial release. As well there is self myofascial release where a patient is able to perform their own fascial release.
 

Indirect Myofascial Release

The indirect myofascial release is a passive way to release the fascia.

Here are three steps for the indirect release:

1) Lightly contact the fascia with soft hands

2) Slowly stretch the fascia the fascia until reaching a barrier or restriction

3) Maintain light pressure to stretch the barrier for approximately 3-5 minutes

When the barrier releases the myofascial release therapist will feel as though their hands have significantly moved apart. Generally the therapist “hangs out” waiting for a softening of the tissue.

This type of myofascial release therapy is less demanding physically for the therapist and more comfortable for the patient as compared to the direct myofascial release technique.

The indirect myofascial release technique is effective for:

• back pain relief

• neck pain relief

• leg pain

and much more.
 

Direct Myofascial Release Technique

The direct myofascial release method, sometimes referred to as deep tissue therapy, works by engaging the myofascial tissue restrictive barrier then applying a constant force and /or drag on the tissue until there is a fascial release.

Direct myofascial release seeks changes in the myofascial structures by stretching, elongation of fascia, or mobilizing ( moving) adhesive tissues (scar tissue).

The therapist moves slowly through the layers of fascia until the deep tissues are reached.

Knuckles, forearms elbows or other tools may be used to stretch the restricted tissue.

Here are seven steps according to Michael Stanborough for direct myofascial release:

1. Land on the surface of the body with the appropriate ‘tool’ (knuckles, or forearm etc).
2. Sink into the soft tissue.
3. Contact the first barrier/restricted layer.
4. Put in a ‘line of tension’.
5. Engage the fascia by taking up the slack in the tissue.
6. Finally, move or drag the fascia across the surface while staying in touch with the underlying layers.
7. Exit gracefully.

There are many different myofascial release courses to take; however most of them are taken from either the indirect or direct myofascial techniques.

Many times myofascial release is incorporated in the sporting environment.
 

Myofascial Release – Effects of Treatment

While myofascial release is gentle, most of the time, it has significant effects upon the body tissues. Do not let the gentleness mislead you. You may leave after the first treatment feeling like not anything happened.

Later (even a day later), you could possibly begin to feel the effects of the treatment.

Normally, there is soreness for several hours to a day after treatment. The release of tight fascia and its grip on the muscles can result in discomfort due to body’s purging of lactic acid that had been trapped in the muscles.

The most effective remedy for this is drinking lots of water to flush the poisons out of the body.

Often remarkable improvement is noted instantly during or after a myofascial release therapy treatment; other times improvement comes after soreness.

Occasionally, a client will experience new pain in new areas. Some patients have a feeling of lightheadedness or nausea from myofascial release therapy treatments.

The client possibly will even have an emotional response, perchance feeling joy that was hidden or allowing deep sadness to surface.

Regardless of the client’s response to treatment, the professional provides a safe environment for the possibility of endless experiences.

All of these are ordinary, healthy reactions from the body when profound, positive changes occur during the release of fascial restrictions.

In general, acute cases will be resolved with a few treatments. The longer the problem has been present, the longer it usually takes to bring lasting results.

Many chronic conditions which have developed over a period of years may require two or three treatments a week to get optimal results.

Once the chronic condition has significantly improved, less frequent treatments will help to maintain the patient’s progress. Many patients find that once the pain has subsided, one treatment every few weeks can keep them in good condition.

Experience tells us that very infrequent treatments will often lead to fascial tightness creeping back to the level that existed before the last treatment.

Performance of range of motion and stretching exercise will maintain this regression between treatments minimal. It is felt that release of tight tissue is accompanied by release of trapped metabolic waste products in the surrounding tissue and blood stream.

It is highly recommended that you “flush your system” by consuming a lot of water during the course of your treatments. This will help reduce or eliminate reactions such as nausea or light headedness.

If clients have any questions or concerns that come up concerning myofascial release, they should discuss them with the health care professional.

Client Benefits from Myofascial Release Therapy:

• Reduced inflammation
• Reduced muscle and nerve pain
• Decreased fascial tension beneath scar tissue
• Relief of pain not achieved through conventional therapies
• Soft tissue mobilization, loosening constricted connective tissues and freeing impinged structures of the muscular and nervous systems
• Overall health and sense of well being

It is up to you to decide if myofascial release therapy is for you.

Advanced myofascial release techniques now avaliable through kindle ebooks.

"Self Myofascial Release - Foam Roll of the Shin"

SELF MYOFASCIAL RELEASE

FOAM IT – STICK IT – BALL IT – WHAT?

Yes that’s correct. There is more than one way you can treat yourself for those nasty knots and sore spots throughout your body.

Once thought to be taught for athletes, self myofascial release is very beneficial for anyone for almost any tight and sore area on the body.

Simply put, self myofascial release improves tissue quality before any stretching or dynamic warm up in sports activity.

Here’s how it works. Bear with me as I quickly go through the science of it.

There are two nerve like receptors located in the muscle. The first is the “muscle spindle”. It is sensitive to change of length and or speed of and are located parallel to the muscle fibers.

Next are the Golgi Tendon Organs (GTO) and no this not the name of a new age funky rock band:) this receptor is located at the musculotendinous junction.

Have you ever noticed that when you go to make a sudden movement to lengthen your arm or straighten your leg, your body resists that movement. Well that’s the muscle spindle reacting, causing a contraction of movement in the opposite direction. This is known as the “myotatic stretch reflex”.

To avoid the myotatic stretch reflex you need to stimulate the GTO by gradually increasing tension on the muscle.

This eventually leads to decrease in muscular tension. This why traditional self stretches are held for 30 seconds or until the muscle relaxes.

What can Self Myofascial Release Do for Me?

There are many benefits you can have by performing self myofascial release:

-improve flexibility
-improve function
-improve performance
-reduce injuries

Self Myofascial Release Foam Roll

The most common tool for self myofascial release is a foam roller. You may be able to purchase this from a sports store for under $20.00.

The “stick” is the newest piece of equipment that requires both hands to use. Many people roll the “stick” on the quads and hamstring muscles for self myofascial release.

As compared to the other types of fascial release techniques, self myofascial release is done by you to yourself.