The Function Of Myofascial Release Therapy

By Young Lindsay


Injuries, infection, surgery, overuse and inactivity are just some issues that can cause individuals to lose flexibility and develop pain in parts of the body like the shoulders, hips, back or neck. Myofascial release therapy is a treatment increasingly being used today to treat problems like this. It releases tightness in the restricted fascia, resulting in more flexibility, greater skeletal and muscular alignment and significantly reducing pain.

The fascia is a connective tissue web surrounding every muscle, tendon, ligament, bone, tissue and organ in the body. It offers support and protection, forming a cushioning mechanism to allow for comfortable movement.This network of connective tissue can be affected by trauma, overuse, inactivity and a number of other factors.

Some of the problems individuals may experience as a result of this are muscle spasms and pain, chronic back and neck pain, sciatica, headaches and breathing difficulties. Sensations such as numbness and pins and needles may be experienced as well as reduced flexibility. The problem is that X rays and other tests like MRIs do not pick up these types of restrictions. Many patients sit with undiagnosed pain when suffering from trauma of the fascia. Specialist training is required in order to diagnose such a problem and address it competently.

Therapists have to learn how to provide gentle pressure or more intense pressure in a sustained manner. This allows the fascia to elongate naturally without being forced. The therapist has to learn how to identify and move through each restriction in the connective tissue.

At the first session, the therapist will determine just how bad the problem is and then devise a plan of treatment which is discussed with the client. It may be decided to have a session daily or every few days. It may take weeks or even months in some cases to successfully treat a patient. The progress of a patient is carefully monitored using increased flexibility and decreased pain as indicators.

No oils, creams or machinery of any sort is used for this type of treatment. It is the therapist who does all the work. The process is safe and gentle and it has been used successfully for many years to treat injuries and pain that do not seem to respond to other measures. The whole body approach used makes this therapy really effective.

The pressure applied by a therapist gentle to much deeper. However, it is never beyond the tolerance level of the patient. Communication between the therapist and patient ensures this. Some patients experience a slight burning sensation on their skin but this is quite normal. Others may feel stretching in the area being treated.

There are many different therapists offering this type of treatment. Some are more qualified and experienced than others, making it important to check credentials before just randomly selecting one. If one is found online, it is usually possible to read testimonials from grateful clients. This is often very helpful when trying to make the right decision.




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