Myofascial Release
Myofascial Release (MFR for short) is a very gentle yet effective technique. It works with the fascia - a connective tissue that surrounds every organ, tissue, muscle, bone, ligament and tendon. It is a continuous network and can be compared to a cobweb (see image 1). It acts as our body's shock absorber and communication system.
A healthy fascia is wet, slippery and elastic, allowing for movement. It cushions and supports us so we can move freely.
Fascia is affected by poor posture, injuries, surgery, repetitive movement and trauma (both physical and emotional), all of which cause the fascia to shorten, thicken, and stick together (see image 2). This in turn causes pain and discomfort.
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1. Healthy fascia
2. Restricted fascia
Myofascial release does just that - it releases the restrictions and allows the fascia to return to its normal functioning.
The effect of the release can be very profound, especially if the restrictions have been present for many years.
Clients can feel the release by tuning into the sensations in their bodies:
heat, cold, pulsations, pins and needles, tightening, waves. Occasionally pain is recreated, or a sense of space is felt. My clients sometimes describe what they feel as a sense of blossoming. All sensations are valid, and are part of the release.
SCAR TISSUE
After surgery your body forms a scar on the skin at the site of surgery. However, as a result of surgery adhesions may form internally. An adhesion is a band of scar tissue that joins two internal body surfaces that are not usually connected. Organs or tissues within the body stick (adhere) to other internal surfaces. Adhesions develop as the body attempts to repair itself.
Adhesions can cause a lot of pain, and having surgery to remove the adhesions is not always the answer since the body will keep forming adhesions.
Myofascial Release can treat adhesions because the effect of the treatment reaches beyond the skin into the structures of the body. Myofascial Release can dramatically reduce the pain and restrictions caused by adhesions, and is probably the only type of treatment that works directly with scar tissue.