What is "Myofascial Release" and how can it help?

by Martin Kingston MSMA, MISRM

http://www.massage-therapy-london.co.uk

THIS ARTICLE REFLECTS THE PRIVATE VIEWS OF THE AUTHOR AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A MEDICAL REFERENCE.

From Rolfing comes the fashionable technique, that many peoplte swear by these days, called "Myofascial Release". But what is it? How is it supposed to help? What are its limitations?

What is Fascia?

Let's first be clear what is "fascia". It is the cobweb of connective tissue that envelops, connects and separates our bodies. The "Parietal Sheath" encloses our brain and spinal cord, the "Visceral Sheath" wraps our lungs, heart, digestive system & reproductive system, the "Axial Sheath" envelops and shapes the muscles of our chest, abdomen and limbs and the "Superfiscial Sheath" forms a wrapping from jaw and occiput to fingers and toes. Myofascial Release works on the last 2 types of fascia, although french osteopath Jean-Pierre Barral promotes a visceral manipulation for improving health.

For more information about fascia check the article "What is fascia, what goes wrong with it and how can I look after it?" on the Links page of the Bodyworkerslondon.com website. Future articles will talk more about the different sheaths and different bodywork treatments developed for each one of them (eg. Cranio-Sacral Therapy for the Parietal Sheath).

So why is fascia important to us?

When we are injured, sometimes scar tissue forms in the fascia, glueing together everything in the neighbourhood, and restricting free movement.

More commonly through habit, we may build up FUNCTIONAL patterns of tension, where muscles shorten and tighten or weaken and lengthen. This uses up energy, and the body adapts to save energy, by thickening the fascia to create STRUCTURAL restrictions which hold us in that position without muscle tone. This is particularly clear where we have overuse injury - a gradual buildup of microtrauma over time with associated inflammation triggers thicker fascia. So, for instance, massage can help early RSI and some types of carpal tunnel syndrome, but when the fascia thickens and creates structural restrictions, treatment becomes progressively more difficult, because the pressure on the nerves is not from muscle tone and temporary inflammation, but from thicker tissues. So get your patterns of dysfunction sorted before your body builds up fascial adaptions!

Is some thickened fascia useful?

Not all thickening of the fascia is unhelpful - maybe ligaments are loose so muscles and tendons have to stabilise a joint. Our bodies adapt to demand and it may be useful to have a restriction. I have a client in his 70s with very hunched rounded shoulders, which most people would consider a postural dysfunction, but it is a useful adaption for long distance motorcycling, so on trips to Germany he does not need to use muscle energy to hold himself in position on the bike.

So how do we treat unhelpful restrictions?

Fascia is "thixotropic", whih means it becomes more fluid if you warm it up. It is also "plastic" like a polythene bag: it resists fast pressure, but slow pressure can deform and stretch it. That is why if a masseur works quickly you get a lot of discomfort without much benefit - any relaxation you get afterwards may probably be the result of inflammation from the trauma cause by the ill-qualified sadistic so-called "deep tissue massage".

So fascia is thixotropic and plastic. Efforts to stretch and release fascia therfore should warm the tissues and apply pressure slowly. Most slow massage will help to some extent.

The unique thing about myofascial release is that you, the client, are asked to be actively involved, contracting, relaxing and moving the tissues as the masseur applies a pressure or stretch. There are several explanations for the benefits:
- CHEMICAL - the movements pump fluid around the area, so the tissues hydrate and warm up;
- PHYSICAL - muscles contract and relax, so releasing the fascia to deform and stretch;
- NEUROLOGICAL - actively engaging nerves probably helps release any FUNCTIONAL hold, and also the patient will become more aware of the nature of the holding pattern as they participate in the therapy, and will re-educate themselves into new ways of movement.

Myofascial Release should then be followed with stretches to release any FUNCTIONAL holding patterns.

So, when should you look for a masseur trained in Myofascial Release?

Any trained masseur will know if your restrictions are STRUCTURAL, requiring Myofascial Release, or just FUNCTIONAL, where facilitated stretching like MET or PNF alone will help.

Bodyworkerslondon.com website

Martin Kingston's old website