Myofascial release
How does myofascial release work?
Myofascial release is a highly specialised stretching technique to treat patients with a variety of soft tissue problems.
'Myo' symply means muscle and 'fascia' is the thin tissue layers that cover muscles and internal organs of the body. In normal healthy state, the overlying fascia is relaxed and wavy in configuration. It has the ability to stretch and move without restriction.
When muscle fibres are injured from trauma, such as whiplash, surgery or just day-to-day poor posture, the muscle fibres and the surrounding fascia may become shortened and tight. Scarring can occue and will lead to reduced flexibility, stability, and the body's ability to withstand future strain and injury. The resulting condition is somtimes known as "myofascial pain syndrome". The uneven stress can be transmitted through the fascia to other parts of the body, causing pain and a variety of symptoms in areas you often would not expect.
Myofascial release treats these symptoms by releasing the uneven tightness in the injured myofascia. It works by applying gentle sustained pressure into the myofascial connective tissue restriction to eliminate pain and restore motion. It is useful for treating skeletal muscle immobility and pain by relaxing contracted muscles, improve blood flow, oxygen delivery, and lymphatic circulation, as well as by modulating the stretch reflex in muscles.