Medical & Rehabilitative Massage Therapy
What is Myofascial Release?
Myofascial release is a type of bodywork, which treats the fascial system of the body. With gentle, sometimes deep, sustained contact it eliminates the pressure of the restricted fascial areas that are causing the symptoms. Myofascial release works with your nervous system to let go of deep, chronic holding patterns which often create pain, tension and tightness.
Learn what to expect during your first Myofascial Release Therapy session.
What is Fascia?
Fascia is a connective tissue that spreads through the body in a three-dimensional web from head to foot. It covers the muscles, bones, nerves, organs and vessels down to the cellular level. Malfunction of our bodies due to trauma, poor posture or inflammation can bind the fascia, resulting in abnormal pressure and creating pain syndromes.
There are three major layers of fascia within the body: the superficial fascia, the deep fascia and the subserous fascia.
Superficial fascia lies just below the skin and surrounds the entire body. Deep fascia provides structural framework to the skeletal muscles. Subserous fascia (Visceral fascia) supports visceral organs, anchors nerves and forms walls of blood and lymph vessels.
Healthy connective tissue or fascia can stretch and then return to its original shape. This elastic recoil, as it’s known is due to the spiral formation of the collagen proteins in the connective tissue.
Healthy fascia supports the structures embedded within it by delivering blood flow, nutrients, neural impulses and energetic messages and by removing metabolic wastes. When fascia is compressed or twisted in rotation for example, it shortens, compresses and dries out. This dehydration leads to a buildup of metabolic wastes that cause inflammation, pain and degeneration. The fascia can also adhere to itself or other structures, distorting the shape of the three-dimensional fascial web of the body pulling body segments and bony structures out of alignment.