Myofascial Release in Nashville, TN.
Myofascial release is a gentle, hands-on therapy that applies pressure to specific muscles and connective tissues to release tension and enhance flexibility. “Myo” means muscle. “Fascia” is connective tissue that lies beneath the skin, stabilizing, covering, attaching, and separating muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and organs. Myofascia specifically refers to the fascia that surrounds and separates muscles.
Fascia throughout the body appears as strong, durable bands or sheets. It is tightly woven, similar to a spider’s web, and this woven pattern gives fascia its strength. One of fascia’s most interesting features is that it is actually a single continuous structure from the head to the feet. That’s why a fascial restriction in one part of the body can cause symptoms elsewhere.
Fascial/Myofascial Restrictions
Sometimes, fascial restrictions happen as part of your body’s natural healing process. For example, we often hear or read about scar tissue forming after a surgical procedure or injury. Scar tissue is essentially the healing of the fascia. But sometimes, when the fascia heals, it becomes thicker and more tense in that area than it was before the surgery or injury. This thicker, tenser fascia can pull and tug on other fascial tissues, causing pain and changing the tissue layout. (Remember the spider web we talked about before? Imagine a lump in it — the whole web gets pulled in different directions.) There are specific myofascial release techniques that can help break down scar tissue and rework the tissue in the correct direction and pattern.
There are other causes of fascial restrictions as well. Inflammation, poor posture, repetitive motion, less severe injuries, and trauma (both physical and emotional) can create fascial and/or myofascial restrictions and can lead to pain and restricted motion in one or multiple areas of the body.
Diagnosing Fascial/Myofascial Restrictions
Diagnosing these kinds of restrictions involves a physical exam. We look for tender points in tense muscles by applying gentle pressure to specific muscles and groups. Often, we will feel the muscle “twitch” when identifying a myofascial problem in a certain area, and sometimes, applying that gentle pressure triggers referred pain, or pain elsewhere.
Currently, we cannot visualize fascia or myofascia with any type of medical imaging (x-ray, CT scan, MRI, etc.), so the physical exam becomes crucial for accurately diagnosing myofascial restriction or myofascial pain syndrome (a chronic pain condition).
Myofascial Release Is Not Massage Therapy
Myofascial release differs from massage therapy. Its main goal is to realign the fibers of the fascia within the fascial network. Often, it is recommended alongside chiropractic adjustments to target soft tissue issues like trigger points (muscle knots), which can cause tension and pressure on nerves due to pulling and tugging on the fascia where it should not be pulled or tugged. Addressing these soft tissue dysfunctions can often reduce pain and improve pain-free ranges of motion. Myofascial release requires time, as gentle pressure is carefully applied over the myofascial or fascial restrictions, allowing the tissue to stretch and release gradually.
Many of us experience muscle pain, which usually improves within a few days to weeks. If you’re dealing with persistent muscle pain or having trouble moving because of it, myofascial release might be a treatment option for you.