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The benefits of myofascial release therapy

Myofascial release therapy

Background on myofascial release therapy

Myofascial release (MFR) therapy is a form of bodywork done by a licensed therapist. It is a technique that uses gentle holds to release the fascia, which is the connective tissue of the body. The fascia surrounds and supports all the muscles, bones, nerves, and organs throughout the body. It acts as a supportive structure that provides stability, and it is also thought of as the body’s “soft skeleton”.

 

The fascia can become restricted through injury, surgical scars, inflammation, and poor posture. Tight fascia can result in decreased mobility, restricted blood flow, and even pressure on nerves, which can cause pain, numbness and tingling. A myofascial release therapist works with the fascia to identify and release restrictions to restore mobility and health. In this way, MFR gets to the root of the issue by releasing the restricted fascia, which is causing pain and discomfort, delivering lasting results.

 

How myofascial release differs from traditional massage therapy

While myofascial release and traditional massage both use hands-on therapeutic techniques to ease pain and promote relaxation, myofascial release has some unique traits. MFR focuses on slower movements where the therapist senses and responds to changes in the fascia, This gentle sustained pressure and stretching of the fascia creates what is called the piezoelectric effect. The piezoelectric effect refers to the electrical energy that is created from applying gentle prolonged pressure to the fascia. While oils and lotions are used in traditional massage therapy, oil is not used in myofascial release therapy because oil creates a barrier to generating the piezoelectric effect.

 

As described in the article Myofascial Release vs. Traditional Massage: What’s the Difference? , the piezoelectric effect has three main benefits:

  1. Healing injuries. The electrical charges in the fascia instruct the surrounding cells to repair and regenerate damaged tissue.
  2. Tissue recovery. Myofascial release stimulates the tissues to produce collagen, which is a primary building block of the fascia. The collagen helps the fascia to become more relaxed and fluid which improves flexibility and mobility.
  3. Pain regulation. The electrical charges produced during myofascial release relieve pressure on nerve tissues and nourish nerve cells which decreases pain. This action also helps nerve tissues heal.

 

Conditions addressed

Myofascial release therapy can help with a wide variety of conditions involving the fascia. You will benefit from MFR if you have:

  • Chronic pain
  • A new or old injury
  • Posture difficulties
  • Post-surgical scars
  • Repetitive use syndromes
  • Difficulty navigating life changes
  • Conditions where nothing seems to help

 

Additionally, myofascial release therapy is very beneficial to a variety of women’s health conditions as described on the John Barnes myofascial release website , including:

  • Vulvodynia
  • Interstitial Cystitis
  • Mastectomy Pain
  • Menstrual Problems
  • Painful Intercourse
  • Urinary Frequency
  • Problematic Breast Implant/Reduction Scars
  • Coccydynia
  • Endometriosis
  • Infertility Problems
  • Urinary Incontinence
  • Lymphedema
  • Urinary Urgency
  • Episiotomy Scars
  • Pelvic Floor Pain
  • Pudendal Nerve Entrapment

Myofascial release is a wonderful therapy on its own, and it is also complementary to acupuncture treatments.

 

What to expect

During a treatment, you wear shorts and an exercise bra (for women) while you relax under a sheet on our massage table. Your therapist’s warm hands gently hold and ease the connective tissue and any restrictions to relieve pain and restore range of motion. The treatment is wonderfully relaxing. Be ready to feel more open, flexible, and even taller after a session!

 

Treatment series

Myofascial release is best done in a series of treatments. We recommend scheduling one initial session and then three weekly follow-up sessions to help break patterns and achieve a faster pace of healing. Sessions can also be spaced out if needed.

 

Ready to start your healing with myofascial release? Click here to book online.

 

Finally, not sure what type of treatment would be best for you?  For example, is myofascial release or acupuncture a better fit? Please click this link to schedule a free 10-minute call with our senior scheduling receptionist who will be happy to answer any questions you have and advise you on the best services and practitioner to meet your unique needs.

 

Any further questions? Please reach out and email us through our website or call or text 910-622-4269.

 

About the Author

Ericca Burke is the owner of HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine where she provides acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatments in Wilmington, NC. Click this link to read more about Ericca. 

 

About HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine in Wilmington, NC

HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine is an acupuncture and Chinese medicine practice located in Wilmington, NC just minutes from beautiful Wrightsville Beach. Click this link for contact information and directions. Click this link for a listing and description of services offered.

The benefits of acupuncture and therapeutic massage

therapeutic massage

Acupuncture and therapeutic massage

Acupuncture and therapeutic massage are a powerful healing combination. Over the years, many patients have asked me about massage, and I recently decided to expand my practice to include therapeutic massage. I am a strong believer in complementary healing modalities, and I personally love massage. It’s a wonderful tool to include in your self-care toolkit.

 

Therapeutic massage

Therapeutic massage is a type of massage that involves focused work on soft tissues of the body, specifically, the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It is sometimes referred to as a medical massage. Therapeutic massage helps release tension, improve range of motion, and heal injuries. This type of massage can also help relieve pain, elicit the relaxation response, reduce stress, and improve your mood. Each individual receives a massage customized to their specific needs.  Many pioneering medical institutions like the Cleveland Clinic advocate the benefits of massage, as shown in this Cleveland Clinic article titled Why You Should Try Medical or Therapeutic Massage.

 

Chair massage

 As I was brainstorming on massage offerings, the licensed massage therapist who joined my practice suggested offering chair massage in addition to the traditional 60- and 90-minute full body massage sessions. I was excited to find a variety of research articles detailing the benefits from a 15-minute chair massage. Specifically, research has shown that just 15 minutes in a massage chair has many benefits including reducing tension, stress and anxiety, lowering blood pressure, increasing blood circulation, and strengthening the immune system.

Here are links to a sampling of research studies showing the benefits of a 15-minute chair massage:

 

How a chair massage works

A chair massage is a massage performed while you are seated in a specialized massage chair that is ergonomically positioned. Your face rests in a comfortable headrest, and special arm rests support your arms. This allows the body to relax, and the massage therapist focuses on relieving tension in the neck, shoulders, and back. The massage is done through the clothes, so there is no need to change or shower after the session. It’s a very efficient way to get quick tension relief.

 

How to combine acupuncture and massage

I have found many conflicting recommendations on how to best combine acupuncture and massage. Some suggest massage first, then acupuncture. Some suggest the opposite. Others suggest separating the two by varying amounts of time.

 

In my Classical Chinese medicine training, we were taught to recommend separating treatments by at least 24 hours. This is because our energetic body follows a schedule called the Chinese organ body clock. Every two hours a different organ system is either at its peak function of activity or its lowest activity or time of rest, just like the tides in the ocean. There are 12 different organ systems that follow this schedule over a 24-hour period. You can learn more about this topic in my blog about the Chinese organ body clock.

 

Waiting 24 hours after an acupuncture treatment or a massage gives your body time to fully take in and process the energetic message you received from your treatment. I often suggest to patients that they consider alternating weekly acupuncture and massage treatments. For example, they have an acupuncture treatment one week and then a massage treatment the following week. This is not to say that following a different schedule will not be effective, rather, it’s a way to ensure the body fully processes the benefit from the specific treatment with no other influences.

 

Want to talk about how acupuncture and therapeutic massage can help you? We’d love to hear from you. Please click this link to schedule a free 10-minute call with our senior scheduling receptionist who will be happy to answer any questions you have and advise you on the best services and practitioner to meet your unique needs.

 

Any further questions? Please reach out and email us through our website or call or text 910-622-4269.

 

About the Author

Ericca Burke is the owner of HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine where she provides acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatments in Wilmington, NC. Click this link to read more about Ericca. 

 

About HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine in Wilmington, NC

HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine is an acupuncture and Chinese medicine practice located in Wilmington, NC. It is just minutes from beautiful Wrightsville Beach. Click this link for contact information and directions. Click this link for a listing and description of services offered.