This is a wonderful and effective therapy that I now use alongside my Physiotherapy skills after attending courses run by the internationally respected teaching organisation MFR UK, headed by Ruth Duncan at www.myofascialrelease.co.uk.
It is thought by many therapists to be the ‘missing link’ in the treatment of musculo-skeltal pain and injury, and it can relieve symptoms when no other intervention has been successful.
Research into fascia is ongoing and exciting. It is far too much to go into here in detail, but there are two concepts that might be helpful to understand.
- The fascia is a continuous web-like tissue which surrounds and supports every structure in the body. Every muscle fibre, nerve, blood vessel, bone and organ is connected through and affected by the myofascial system
- Fascia should be healthy, pliable, hydrated, and able to glide freely as you move. It can however become thickened, dehydrated, and dense. It ceases to glide freely, and myofascial restrictions can occur.
Myofascial restrictions can be caused by old injuries, sedentary postures, inflammatory processes and even emotional events.
Because of the continuous nature of the Myofascial System, a restriction in one part of the body can produce symptoms almost anywhere. Literally, a restriction in your big toe can be the cause a jaw problem!
My aim is to return the affected fascia to a healthy state. Restoring flexibility and three dimensional balance will encourage the body’s natural self-correcting mechanisms to take over, which will help to alleviate symptoms and restore function with longer lasting results.
During your treatment my hands are in constant ‘dialogue’ with your fascial system as it begins to soften and change. The fascia cannot be ‘forced’ to change, so the treatment is gentle and most people find it relaxing as well as being effective.