Whats the deal with Fascia?

This particular style of myofascial release uses gentle sustained pressure and stretch into the connective tissue until a barrier is engaged. A barrier is an area of restriction or lack of mobility. This is held by a therapist typically for 3-5 minutes until on a release is felt (softening and movement). Why so long? It’s due to collagen fibers and the fluid in the fascia called mucopolysaccharide gel or interstitial fluid. This substance can be gel like or fluid. If an area is injured or particularly tight, it becomes hardened and starts to solidify. Engaging it gently for long amounts of time allows our subconscious protective mechanism to come down in areas that have pain, and also gives the tissue enough time to literally start to open and melt. When this gel like fluid softens, collagen fibers elongate. Anti-inflammatory interleukins are also released, which promote healing. By the time the hold is released, the damaged tissue is already in the process of genuine healing. 

Fascia is important because, well, it literally gives everything in your body shape. Take the fascia away and you turn into a blob. It’s mainly made of collagen, elastin, interstitial fluid and it covers every internal part of the body, stabilizing movements, protecting against damage, and reducing friction in the joints. Even your cells have a fascial wall to protect them. Let’s look at some of the many benefits of Myofascial release.

Let's Break It Down

1) Recover from a chronic or acute injuries

Myofascial release relieves pressure on muscles, bones, nerves and organs, helping resolve chronic pain. Chronic pain means there is an inflammatory process in the body which is distressing to the nervous system. By working to relieve tension patterns and restrictions through gentle MFR holding techniques, the body can release this tension and decrease a person's overall pain which registers in the nervous system as a cue for safety and relazation. Pain is a stressor in the body which creates muscular tension. Muscle tension can aggravate underlying pain symptoms which creates more stress. This can be quite the predicament because people get trapped in a vicious loop of compounding stress that seems unable to end. Being in pain makes it difficult to move through the world and do daily tasks, it reduces coping skills, can increase anxiety, and depression. Addressing the myofascial system really helps chronic pain sufferers find relief. 

2) Improving flexibility and range of motion

The goal of myofascial therapy is to stretch, open, and loosen the fascia so that it and other contiguous structures can move more freely, and the fibers can glide along one another without impingment restoring the patient's range of motion. Since the fascial system functions and looks like an interconnected web, working on one area of the body affects an entirely different but connect part. Imagine pulling a thread on a sweater. If you snag the lower end it has an affect throughout, even into the upper right hand side. By lengthening and opening up the connective tissue fibers, you gain more fluidity in the joints but also in the overall fascial matrix. 

3) Alleviating symptoms of chronic pain, trauma, and stress

Trauma, thwarted inflammatory responses, surgery, and emotional upheavals in one’s life can restrict fascia. When this occurs, fascia can exert enormous crushing pressure on pain-sensitive structures up to approximately 2,000 pounds per square inch. It is also important to recognize fascial restrictions do not show up in such tests as CT scans, X-rays, myelograms and blood work; therefore, myofascial problems are often misdiagnosed or overlooked. Traditional therapy has overlooked something important: the position of our body at the moment of trauma.

 Trauma can become imprinted within the fluidity of the ground substance of the fascial system. In an attempt to protect itself from further injury, the subconscious does not allow the body to move into positions that re-enact the micro-events and important microcognitions essential for lasting change. The body then develops strategies or patterns to protect itself. These subconscious holding patterns eventually form specific muscular tone or tension patterns, and the fascial component then tightens into these habitual positions of strain as a compensation to support the misalignment that results. When you release these tension patterns, the nervous system is able to recognize that there is not longer a need to protect and it can returned to a more balanced state. This also falls into alignment with Peter Levines work with Somatic Experiencing to renegoiate trauma through the body.

4) Help with musculoskeletal disorders, autoimmune conditions, and head and neck injuries

There are a wide variety of disorders Myofascial Release can be helpful for including Sciatica, Back Pain, Neck Pain, Postural Problems, Scoliosis, Whiplash, pre/post surgery rehab,  Whiplash, Jaw Pain (TMJ), Headaches, and Fibromyalgia to name a few. Many forms of massage and bodywork are extremely beneficial. However, if they don’t sustain pressure long enough into the fascial system for certain injuries or conditions, you wont have the the lasting results you want. 

5) Releasing painful muscle knots, referred pain, tension, and alleviate exercise-related soreness

Trigger points are typically sensitive areas within muscle or connective tissue (fascia) that become painful when touched or overworked. They can refer pain to other parts of the body. There could be numerous possible causes for a trigger points, such as an acute injury, repetitive overuse, or irritation of facet joints in the spine for example. Oftentimes when we are chronically holding our bodies in a particular way and there is shortening or constriction in the muscles and fascia, we need sustained pressure or stretch into that area of restriction to give it the cue to let go. Allowing sustained attention in and area during a longer amount of time (2-5 minutes) allows the tissue to actually change. Collagen fibers elongate and the interstitial fluid thaws. 

Sometimes an area of the body thats agitated is not the source of the problem. If we address the area that its chronically tight or out of balance, the referred pain clears up. This also helps flush toxins, stagnant lymph, and cellular debris from the fascia, into the blood stream, and out of the body, helping reduce soreness and allow the body to recover after injuries much faster.  

6) Improving oxygenation and blood flow in the muscles

The body gets oxygenates through a process called diffusion. Oxygen moves from the alveoli (any of the many tiny air sacs of the lungs) to the blood through the capillaries (tiny blood vessels) lining the alveolar walls. Once in the bloodstream, oxygen gets picked up by the hemoglobin in red blood cells. Hemoblobin is a protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen to your body's organs and tissues and transports carbon dioxide from your organs and tissues back to your lungs. So, now that we know this little tid-bit of information, it will make more sense how fascia impacts these processes. 

 All your blood vessels and organs (literally everything) is held in the fascia. Structurally, collagen and elastic fibers give each cell, organ, etc. shape. The liquid ground substance of connective tissue is a transparent material with the properties of a viscous solution or a highly hydrated thin gel. All your capillaries and blood cells travel through this substance. When there is stagnation or hardening in the ground substance from injury, surgery, repetitive motions, or trauma, it gets dense and creates pressure on all these vital organs and sensitive structures. Oxygenation naturally becomes more difficult. Releasing the fascia then allows for better oxygenation, more blood flow to come in, and detoxification to function properly.  

7) Flushing toxins and metabolites from the muscles

The physical stimulation created through massage therapy treatments and Myofascial release helps dissolve and eliminate toxin buildup in the tissues. They are released into the bloodstream, which then works to transport them out of the body through excretion. The primary mechanism that supports toxin removal is the proper circulation of blood and lymph. Some problems of toxin build up include physical exhaustion and fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, foggy mind, weight management issues, irritability, poor memory, and a sleeping issues. There are many diseases that are highly linked to high levels of toxins in the body including cancer, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and autoimmune diseases. Build up of cellular waste, bacteria toxins, and manufactured toxins can all build up in our system if our tissues are tight, rigid, and dehydrated. Myofascial release helps open the tissue and support the organs to function optimally so flush out toxins.

8) Help posture improve and structural integrity of skeletal system

In our modern world, we engage in lots of repetitive activities that dont hep with posture. Sitting at a desk, using a computer, looking at our phone, and carrying children often contribute to bad posture and alignment. Forward head posture and swayback are common results of posture misalignment. Myofascial release can help lengthen and open tissue. Releasing tightness that can pull the body out of alignment and result in overuse of certain joints. Since a MFR therapist understands the vastness of the fascial system, they may treat an area that is away from the symptoms. For example, if the roof on your house is tilting significantly, you may want to look at the foundation to address the underlying problem. Addressing the myofascial complex will realign and shift the skeletal structure of ones body, improving posture. 

9) Improved physical performance and faster workout recovery

An effective way to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness is bodywork. This increases blood flow which speeds up the recovery process. The increase in circulation also helps to reduce the feeling of fatigue that follows a tough workout. Intense muscle soreness can be reduced (no matter what type of workout you’ve done) with the help of myofascial release. Myofascial release improves blood circulation which in turn increases oxygen and nutrition delivery to the muscles. Bodywork helps with the regeneration of muscle fibers, resulting in a faster recovery time. Through stretching techniques, the soft tissues to lengthen and become more elastic, making them extend, move and perform to the best of their ability.

10) Encourage movement of lymph, helping your body better fight infection

When your fascia isn’t locking down sensitive structures like blood vessels or lymph nodes, they can function optimally. The lymph system does not have a pumping mechanism, like the heart does for the blood. The lymph is moved through the body in its own vessels making a one-way journey from the interstitial spaces (ground substance) to the subclavian veins at the base of the neck. The way the lymph moves upward depends on the motions of the muscle and joint pumps and your own movement. If someone is tight and doesnt move you are going to run into lymph problems. Lymph transports oxygen, hormones and nutrients to different parts of the body and removes metabolic waste from the cells. Having mobile and open fascia indirectly allows lymph to flow properly.