Whether you’re training for a marathon, chasing grandkids down the trail, or simply trying to stay comfortable in your own skin as you age, one of my favorite ways of helping clients feel and perform their best is myofascial release. You may have heard the term fascia or myofascial release and wondered: What exactly is fascia? And what is being released? Let’s dive into the details.
What Is Fascia?
Fascia is the connective tissue in your body that forms an intricate network around your muscles, bones, and organs. It provides structural support while allowing your body to move fluidly. If you removed everything except the fascia, your body’s shape would still be intact—it’s that integral to your structure.
Healthy fascia is flexible and glides smoothly, but when it becomes restricted due to lack of movement or adhesions, it can lead to stiffness, trigger points or painful areas. Fascial layers contain nerves that make it almost as sensitive as your skin. Since fascia is so interconnected, one restriction can pull on the entire network, causing pain and misalignment in seemingly unrelated areas of your body. Think of a stretchy tablecloth: pulling on one corner distorts the fabric across its entire surface.
What causes the fascia to become painful?
Well, in short, life! Stress, overuse or injuries, surgery, sitting too much, postural imbalances, poor sleep, and unhealthy eating can all play their part. Unlike muscle or joint pain, fascia-related pain usually improves with movement or heat therapy.
According to an article published by Johns Hopkins Medicine, restoring elasticity to the fascia has been shown to decrease pain. “Myofascial pain syndrome is a condition in which trigger points cause pain in one of three ways: with movement, when pressure is applied, or in seemingly unrelated parts of the body (referred pain). Treatment focuses on relieving pain and getting tight fascia and muscle fibers to relax.”
Myofascial Release vs. Massage: What’s the Difference?
Although myofascial release and massage both involve hands-on techniques, they serve very different purposes and address distinct aspects of your body.
Massage Therapy
Traditional massage focuses on soothing and relaxing tired, sore muscles. Techniques like Swedish massage and deep tissue massage improve circulation, reduce stress, and ease muscle tension, making it a great choice for relaxation and general wellness.
Myofascial Release Therapy
Myofascial release takes a more targeted approach, focusing on restrictions in the fascia rather than just the muscles. These restrictions don’t always hurt directly but can distort your body’s movement and alignment, causing compensations, chronic pain, and even limited mobility in other areas.
Using sustained pressure or traction, myofascial release addresses these hardened and thickened tissues, allowing them to elongate and release. Unlike traditional massage strokes, which can sometimes be too fast and gliding or deep and static to address fascia, myofascial release requires slow, deliberate manipulation to reach the surface and deeper layers of connective tissue.
Why Myofascial Restrictions Are Hard to Spot
One challenge with restricted fascia is that it doesn’t show up on typical medical scans, like X-rays or MRIs. Because of this, these issues can go unnoticed by doctors, who may focus more on the symptoms rather than the root cause. Myofascial release therapy takes a holistic view, addressing these underlying restrictions to bring longer-lasting relief.
As massage therapists trained in myofascial release massage, our team can help when your body gets stiff and painful. First, we evaluate what’s out of balance in your body. Then we’ll use hands-on manipulation to reach both the surface and deep fascial layers to release restrictions and balance joint function. We’ll also use techniques such as passive and active assisted stretching, movement awareness, and targeted massage to decrease pain and increase mobility so you’ll move well and feel your best.
The Evidence for Myofascial Release
According to Physiotherapy Journal vol. 123 June 2024, current evidence highlights myofascial release as a promising approach for managing chronic neck pain and improving mobility, consistently outperforming or matching other physiotherapy treatments, including stretching, massage, and electrotherapy. The October 2011 Vol. 15 Issue 4 Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies findings support myofascial release as an effective manual therapy for reducing pain and restoring tissue mobility. Additionally, a 2017 trial published in the journal Spine that focused on nonspecific low back pain found that myofascial release helped reduce pain and disability.
A Case for Myofascial Release
I recently had a client come in with a back spasm that had been going on for two full days. His doctor prescribed muscle relaxers and referred him to a chiropractor. The chiropractor was not able to adjust him due to the spasms. He came to me unable to walk without pain and couldn’t even stand up straight. After one gentle and targeted session of myofascial release massage, he was standing up straight, could walk again pain-free, and was finally on his way to recovery!
Is Myofascial Release Right for You?
Myofascial release is particularly effective for those dealing with chronic pain, limited range of motion, or complex conditions that haven’t responded well to other treatments. It’s a great option for maintaining flexibility, athletic performance and comfort in your body from aging or overuse. It’s also a powerful tool for enhancing overall well-being, offering relief from physical discomfort, and promoting balance in the body, mind, and spirit.
Start Feeling Better Today
Don’t let restricted fascia keep you from living life to the fullest. Our team of skilled massage therapists is trained in myofascial release techniques and ready to help you restore balance and function. Book an appointment today and take the first step toward a pain-free, more mobile you.
