Whether you’re an athlete looking to improve your training and performance, or someone trying to reduce pain and achieve better alignment, myofascial release therapy may be able to help.
This type of manipulative therapy targets hard knots and trigger points in the muscle tissue that can elicit tenderness, pain, stiffness and even twitching.
What Is Myofascial Release?
Myofascial release (or MFR) is a type of hands-on treatment that is used to reduce tightness and pain in the body’s connective tissue system. It’s intended to improve range of motion, flexibility, stability, strength, performance, and recovery.The purpose of MFR is to detect fascial restrictions—areas of connective tissue that are tight, painful or inflamed—and then to apply sustained pressure to that area in order to release the fascia.
This system covers every muscle, bone, nerve, artery, vein, and internal organ, spanning the entire body from head to toe. It surrounds and attaches to all structures, supporting the overall functionality of the body.
Normally, fascia is relaxed and has the ability to stretch and move. But when it becomes inflamed or damaged, it starts to become tight and restricted in movement as it loses its pliability. Not only can this cause inflexibility and pain, but it causes tension to develop in other parts of the body too, since the body’s fascia is an interconnected system.
Myofascial release therapists often describe dysfunctional areas of fascia as trigger points, knots, adhesions, ropes, or scar tissue. When someone has many of these, it’s referred to as myofascial pain syndrome (MPS).
Releasing these trigger points or knots, as well as the surrounding area, is the focus of MFR treatments. Not only does this dissipate pain at the specific trigger point, but it can help stop pain from “rippling out” to other parts of the body.
The main difference is that foam rolling is performed by the individual on themselves, rather than by a practitioner.
Foam rolling is also encouraged as part of a warm-up or cool-down before and after a workout because it increases blood flow to muscles and helps to “lengthen” connective tissue, improving range of motion.
How It Works
Myofascial release therapy involves applying gentle and sustained pressure applied to connective tissue using the therapist’s hands. Another way it is described is “low load, long-duration stretching.”MFR therapists use a variety of myofascial release techniques and tools, treating each patient uniquely based on their specific symptoms.
- First, your therapist will work on locating the areas of fascia that appear to be restricted.
- Tests will be performed to measure the level of loss of motion or pain you’re experiencing.
- Your therapist will perform hands-on treatment that is slow and gradual. Usually, this takes place in a private therapy room, much like with physical therapy.
- Ideally, you will continue to be treated weekly or several times per week, for several weeks or even months. The duration depends on your specific condition and symptoms.
- You may also be instructed to perform myofascial exercises at home between sessions.
Who Can Benefit
People who can benefit most from myofascial release therapy include those with:- Pain felt mostly in one area, such as the neck, back, shoulders, hips, or one side of the body
- Physical trauma, such as a fall, car accident or whiplash
- Chronic injuries
- History of inflammatory responses that lead to physical limitations
- History of surgical procedures that leads to scarring
- Emotional trauma that causes muscle tension
- Habitual poor posture
- Repetitive stress and overuse injuries among athletes
- Temporo-mandibular joint disorder pain (TMJ)
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Migraines
One of the founders of myofascial release massage is John F. Barnes, PT, LMT, NCTMB, who is considered to be one of the most influential people in the field of manipulative therapies.
Benefits
1. Helps Restore Proper Body Mechanics
MFR treatments focus not only on pain reduction but also on restoring postural and movement awareness in order to reduce future injuries.2. Helps Reduce Pain
Myofascial pain is thought to have several primary sources: pain within tight skeletal muscle or connective tissue that is being contracted, and pain that generates outward to a nearby structure that is being cut off from blood supply or put under pressure.3. Enhances Strength and Performance
Myofascial release massage helps the body handle stress and impact better, including the types purposefully applied to the body via exercise and strength-training.Sometimes MFR is used prior to training to help athletes prepare, or used in combination with other treatments to promote recovery and make other forms of stretching/strengthening more effective.
4. Improves Flexibility
Fascial restrictions negatively affect both flexibility and stability, so resolving tight areas of fascia can be an effective way to improve mobility, the ability to perform daily activities, and overall quality of life.5. Emphasizes Self-Help and Patient Independence
While it’s not exactly the same thing as visiting a therapist, you can practice myofascial release on yourself at home.How do you do myofascial self-release? The most popular way to do self-myofascial release is with a foam roller. Massage balls and sticks are also available, which help to apply pressure to specific areas of muscles.
Risks and Side Effects
When performed by a trained therapist, this type of manipulative therapy is considered to be very safe. However, it shouldn’t be performed on anyone with open wounds, burns, fractured or broken bones, or deep vein thrombosis. Because some studies suggest it doesn’t work for everyone with chronic musculoskeletal pain, it also shouldn’t replace other treatments or doctor’s visits.Does myofascial release hurt? Some people report feeling some discomfort during or after a myofascial massage, however it shouldn’t be very painful. You may temporarily feel sore or have difficulty moving, but this should improve within 1–2 days.
Final Thoughts
- What is myofascial release? It’s a type of hands-on/manual therapy technique that focuses on reducing tightness and pain stemming from dysfunctional myofascial tissue. It targets trigger points or knots, which are inflamed or damaged parts of fascia, a system of connective tissue that wraps, connects, and supports your muscles.
- Myofascial massage benefits may include improving range of motion, flexibility, stability, strength, performance, and recovery while reducing pain.
- Trained therapists or doctors usually perform MFR. You can also perform self-myofascial release using a foam roller, balls, or sticks.
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