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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.

Spring forward with Chinese medicine

spring

Spring is a great time to balance your energy

Spring is a time of year when many people are feeling a little off as the seasons and energy shifts. They may experience allergy symptoms, headaches, irritability, or even problems with muscles, tendons and ligaments. Women might have menstrual or fertility issues, and people may find it more difficult to make decisions. Are you sighing more than usual? This may be your body’s way of releasing stagnant liver qi. “Qi” is the Chinese word that means life force or energy. Spring is a great time to support your liver and gallbladder in particular, and enhance your vitality.

 

In Chinese medicine, the organs are associated with phases or elements. The liver and gallbladder are the organs that belong to the wood element that is dominant in the spring.  Frequently, symptoms that people experience are right in line with the energetic shift of the changing seasons.

 

Alignment with the seasons and phases

People are often fascinated to hear about how their organs are associated with the different seasons and how this relates to symptoms they experience in their bodies.

 

In Chinese Medicine, there are five phases of transformation: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. While Traditional Chinese Medicine calls these the five elements, Classical Chinese Medicine refers to them as phases because they develop and change into one another. The five phases or elements correspond to the seasons spring, summer, fall, and winter. In Chinese medicine, summer further divides into summer and late summer. Late summer refers to the transformation between the warmer summer weather and cool fall weather. The seasons and phases (or elements) are associated as follows:

 

  • Spring: Wood. This is when nature starts stirring from winter’s dormancy. Trees and plants blossom. New branches grow out of old wood, and new growth begins.

 

  • Summer: Fire. This is the time of warmth and activity. Nature is moving actively, and as a result is growing and flourishing.

 

  • Late summer: Earth. This is the time of harvest. It is also is the pause between the rising of the warming and active phases of wood and fire and the declining and cooler phases of fall and winter.

 

  • Fall: Metal. This is when nature lets go of what is not needed, as seen in the falling leaves from the trees. Compost from the dead leaves enriches the soil so it can prepare for the next cycle of growth in the spring.

 

  • Winter: Water. This is a time of rest. Animals hibernate, the days are shorter, and nature gets still and goes within to build up reserves.

 

How spring affects the liver and gallbladder

As I shared earlier, the liver is the yin organ that is associated with the wood element and spring. In Chinese medicine, the gallbladder is the yang bowel that is paired with the liver, and it is also part of the wood phase or element. Like the new shoots of growth in plants, similarly, our energy rises up in the spring. When too much energy rises up too quickly, we can get headaches and feel irritable.

 

When this uprising energy gets stuck or is not balanced, we can experience issues with our muscles, tendons and ligaments. For example, this is often a time of year when people experience knee problems. When the liver energy is not flowing smoothly, it can also result in PMS symptoms or fertility issues.

 

The eyes are the sensory organ associated with the liver. This is a time of year where people frequently experience itchy, red, painful eyes or blurred vision.

 

Sometimes the energy of these organs can be deficient, and people may experience twitching in their muscles, or find that they have trouble making decisions or gathering the energy to move forward in life.

 

 

Help your body spring forward by supporting your liver and gallbladder

Every individual is unique, and no two people will experience the same symptoms for exactly the same reason. When I see a new patient, I make the time to ask a lot of questions and review their health history. This allows me to determine what is going on with their energy. For example, it is important to determine whether their energy is rising up too quickly, getting stuck, or is deficient. I develop a customized treatment to address their specific needs and restore the balance of energy. This might involve acupuncture needles, ear seeds, qigong exercises, and diet and lifestyle advice.

 

Want to talk about how acupuncture and Chinese medicine 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 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.

Balance your energy this spring

balance your energy this spring

Spring is a great time to balance your energy

This is the time of year when many people are feeling a little off. They may experience allergy symptoms, headaches, irritability, or even problems with muscles, tendons and ligaments. Women might have menstrual or fertility issues, and people may find it more difficult to make decisions. Are you sighing more than usual? This may be your body’s way of releasing stagnant liver qi. “Qi” is the Chinese word that means life force or energy. Spring is a great time to support your liver and gallbladder and enhance your vitality.

 

In Chinese medicine, the organs are associated with phases or elements. The liver and gallbladder are the organs that belong to the wood element that is dominant in the spring.  Frequently, symptoms that people experience are right in line with the energetic shift of the changing seasons.

 

Alignment with the seasons and phases

People are often fascinated to hear about how their organs are associated with the different seasons and how this relates to symptoms they experience in their bodies.

 

In Chinese Medicine, there are five phases of transformation: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. While Traditional Chinese Medicine calls these the five elements, Classical Chinese Medicine refers to them as phases because they develop and change into one another. The five phases or elements correspond to the seasons spring, summer, fall, and winter. In Chinese medicine, summer further divides into summer and late summer. Late summer refers to the transformation between the warmer summer weather and cool fall weather. The seasons and phases (or elements) are associated as follows:

 

  • Spring: Wood. This is when nature starts stirring from winter’s dormancy. Trees and plants blossom. New branches grow out of old wood, and new growth begins.

 

  • Summer: Fire. This is the time of warmth and activity. Nature is moving actively, and as a result is growing and flourishing.

 

  • Late summer: Earth. This is the time of harvest. It is also is the pause between the rising of the warming and active phases of wood and fire and the declining and cooler phases of fall and winter.

 

  • Fall: Metal. This is when nature lets go of what is not needed, as seen in the falling leaves from the trees. Compost from the dead leaves enriches the soil so it can prepare for the next cycle of growth in the spring.

 

  • Winter: Water. This is a time of rest. Animals hibernate, the days are shorter, and nature gets still and goes within to build up reserves.

 

How spring affects the liver and gallbladder

As I shared earlier, the liver is the organ that is associated with the wood element and spring. In Chinese medicine, the gallbladder is paired with the liver, and it is also part of the wood phase or element. Like the new shoots of growth in plants, similarly, our energy rises up in the spring. When too much energy rises up too quickly, we can get headaches and feel irritable.

 

When this uprising energy gets stuck or is not balanced, we can experience issues with our muscles, tendons and ligaments. For example, this is often a time of year when people experience knee problems. When the liver energy is not flowing smoothly, it can also result in PMS symptoms or fertility issues.

 

The eyes are the sensory organ associated with the liver. This is a time of year where people frequently experience itchy, red, painful eyes or blurred vision.

 

Sometimes the energy of these organs can be deficient, and people may experience twitching in their muscles, or find that they have trouble making decisions or gathering the energy to move forward in life.

 

 

Support your liver and balance your energy this spring

Every individual is unique, and no two people will experience the same symptoms for exactly the same reason. When I see a new patient, I make the time to ask a lot of questions and review their health history. This allows me to determine what is going on with their energy. For example, it is important to determine whether their energy is rising up too quickly, getting stuck, or is deficient. I develop a customized treatment to address their specific needs and restore the balance of energy. This might involve acupuncture needles, ear seeds, qigong exercises, and diet and lifestyle advice.

 

Want to talk about how acupuncture and Chinese medicine 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 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.

Enhance your vitality this spring

enhance your vitality

Spring is a great time to enhance your vitality

This is the time of year when many people are feeling a little off. They may experience allergy symptoms, headaches, irritability, or even problems with muscles, tendons and ligaments. Women might have menstrual or fertility issues, and people may find it more difficult to make decisions. Are you sighing more than usual? This may be your body’s way of releasing stagnant liver qi. “Qi” is the Chinese word that means life force or energy. Spring is a great time to support your liver and gallbladder and enhance your vitality.

 

In Chinese medicine, the organs are associated with phases or elements. The liver and gallbladder are the organs that belong to the wood element which is dominant in the spring.  Correspondingly, symptoms that people experience are right in line with the energetic shift of the changing seasons.

 

Alignment with the seasons and phases

People are often fascinated to hear about how their organs are associated with the different seasons and how this relates to symptoms they experience in their bodies.

 

In Chinese Medicine, there are five phases of transformation: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. While Traditional Chinese Medicine calls these the five elements, Classical Chinese Medicine refers to them as phases because they develop and change into one another. The five phases or elements correspond to the seasons spring, summer, fall, and winter. In Chinese medicine, summer further divides into summer and late summer. Late summer refers to the transformation between the warmer summer weather and cool fall weather. The seasons and phases (or elements) are associated as follows:

 

  • Spring: Wood. This is when nature starts stirring from winter’s dormancy. Trees and plants blossom. New branches grow out of old wood, and new growth begins.

 

  • Summer: Fire. This is the time of warmth and activity. Nature is moving actively, and as a result is growing and flourishing.

 

  • Late summer: Earth. This is the time of harvest. It is also is the pause between the rising of the warming and active phases of wood and fire and the declining and cooler phases of fall and winter.

 

  • Fall: Metal. This is when nature lets go of what is not needed, as seen in the falling leaves from the trees. Compost from the dead leaves enriches the soil so it can prepare for the next cycle of growth in the spring.

 

  • Winter: Water. This is a time of rest. Animals hibernate, the days are shorter, and nature gets still and goes within to build up reserves.

 

How spring affects the liver and gallbladder

As I shared earlier, the liver is the organ that is associated with the wood element and spring. In Chinese medicine, the gallbladder is paired with the liver, and it is also part of the wood phase or element. Like the new shoots of growth in plants, similarly, our energy rises up in the spring. When too much energy rises up too quickly, we can get headaches and feel irritable.

 

When this uprising energy gets stuck or is not balanced, we can experience issues with our muscles, tendons and ligaments. For example, this is often a time of year when people experience knee problems. When the liver energy is not flowing smoothly, it can also result in PMS symptoms or fertility issues.

 

The eyes are the sensory organ associated with the liver. This is a time of year where people frequently experience itchy, red, painful eyes or blurred vision.

 

Sometimes the energy of these organs can be deficient, and people may experience twitching in their muscles, or find that they have trouble making decisions or gathering the energy to move forward in life.

 

Support your liver and enhance your vitality this spring

Every individual is unique, and no two people will experience the same symptoms for exactly the same reason. When I see a new patient, I make the time to ask a lot of questions and review their health history. This allows me to determine what is going on with their energy. For example, it is important to determine whether their energy is rising up too quickly, getting stuck, or is deficient. I develop a customized treatment to address their specific needs and restore the balance of energy. This might involve acupuncture needles, ear seeds, qigong exercises, and diet and lifestyle advice.

 

Want to talk about how acupuncture and Chinese medicine 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 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.

Acupuncture for Fertility

acupuncture for fertility

Background on acupuncture for fertility

Before diving into acupuncture for fertility, first let’s address the terms fertility vs. infertility. Western medicine often focuses on a problem or disease. The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Infertility FAQs state that “infertility is defined as not being able to get pregnant (conceive) after one year (or longer) of unprotected sex”. The CDC further states that infertility is a common problem that is experienced by 19% of women aged 15 to 49 years old with no prior births. Additionally, 26% of women in this group either have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term.

 

Acupuncture for fertility can be a complex topic. When I get calls from patients asking if I treat infertility, I make a point to talk in terms of fertility rather than infertility.  Words are important, and I believe that a positive attitude is essential for attracting what we want to bring into our lives. I choose to focus on fertility.

 

Fertility from a Chinese medicine perspective

Chinese medicine looks at the person as a whole and from an energetic perspective. There are a variety of things that can cause an energetic imbalance resulting in decreased fertility. For example, someone can be too hot or too cold. She can be energetically deficient with a lack of the vital substances necessary for conception and to nourish a fertilized egg. She may have stagnant energy which can result in endometriosis, cysts, or fibroids.

 

Sometimes, a patient can get pregnant yet then suffers recurrent miscarriages. This can be due to a different kind of energetic imbalance. In this case, it is important to help reinforce the patient’s energy in a way that the uterus is supported and nourished appropriately.

 

Every person is unique, and I make the time to understand a patient’s whole health history and background so I can determine exactly what might be hindering their fertility.  For example, someone who spent years as a competitive swimmer in cold pools might have very long menstrual cycles due to an excess of cold in their system.

 

Treatment options

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine alone can help improve fertility and result in a healthy pregnancy and childbirth experience. When a patient chooses this pathway of treatment, the first thing that is often done is to help balance the patient’s overall energy. Then, acupuncture treatments are timed and tailored to the patient’s cycle with the goal of achieving a balanced 28-day cycle though the following four phases:

  • Week 1: Period
  • Week 2: Pre-ovulation
  • Week 3: Ovulation
  • Week 4: Post-ovulation

In most cases, I include lifestyle advice in each treatment. This involves customized recommendations for diet, level of rest and activity, managing stress, and exposure to heat or cold.

 

Supporting Western medicine treatments like IVF

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be a great support to western fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF). In fact, more and more fertility clinics are seeing the value of combining eastern and western medicine. Many clinics recommend that their patients receive acupuncture treatments. There have been a number of studies showing the increased success rate of IVF when combined with acupuncture.  Examples include:

 

The male part of the equation

A thorough practitioner considers the male part of the equation as well. It’s important to make sure the male partner is also evaluated and supported in the fertility journey. Poor fertility impacts men in terms of a deficient sperm count, low motility, or even poor morphology (shape) of their sperm. Stress, overwork, diet and environmental factors can affect men as well as women. Men can receive acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatments to help improve their fertility.

 

Ear seeds for fertility

Ear seeds can also be very helpful for fertility. An ear seed is a small sphere placed on an acupuncture point on the surface of the ear. Adhesive tape holds the ear seed in place. It works by exerting a gentle pressure on the acupuncture point. A patient can wear ear seeds for up to five days. They are a great way to continue treatment at home. Ear seed kits are also available for people who are afraid of needles. You can learn more about ear seeds in my blog about ear seeds.

 

Want to talk about how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help you with fertility? 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 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.