Myofacial Release Myofacial Release is a gentle and very effective hands on manual therapy technique that uses sustained pressure into restrictions in the facial system to eliminate pain, and restore motion and function to the body. I use this style of treatment in the clinic on a daily basis in conjunction with many other modalities this enables me to treat more successfully pain as it presents in the body. The word myofacial is derived from the Greek word myo, which means muscle, and the word facial. Fascia is the thin layer system of connective tissue in the body that resembles a spider web and extends without interruption from the top of the head to the tips of the toes. Fascia is very densely woven and interconnected, like a sweater. It covers and interpenetrates every muscle, bone, nerve, artery, vein, organ and cell in the body. It connects every part of the body to every other part. In its natural state, fascia is relaxed, elastic and wavy in configuration, which causes it to resist a suddenly applied force. However, it plays a major role in the support of our bodies. Our bones can be thought of as tent poles and the facial system as the guide wires that provide the tension to keep the tent up. Without adequate tension from the guide wires, the tent would hang limply on the poles. The same is true in our bodies. The facial system provides the necessary tension to keep the body upright with the proper equilibrium. Fascia is said to have a tensile strength of up to 2000 pounds per square inch and a memory. Therefore, if the system should become tight, restricted or unbalanced in any way, it can place incredible stress on any bone, organ, nerve, or other system in the body. This can cause pain and dysfunction in any area of the body. Because the facial system is interconnected, symptoms may appear in areas of the body one might assume are unrelated to the actual restricted area. Traumas of various kinds may cause restrictions in the facial system. Physical traumas may be caused by accidents, surgery, poor posture, stress, or remaining in the same position for an extended period of time. Mental traumas may also affect the facial system. Emotions and mood alters the energy system of the body and in turn the posture of the body, which affects the fascia. Traumatic events such as an accident or violent act may be stored in the memory contained in the fascia and produce pain long after the original occurrence. After trauma to the tissues, the body heals by forming adhesions. Adhesions are tiny strong collagen fibres that lay down cross-links in random patterns. They may be tough and wiry or filmy and thin. They are the building blocks of healing. The scars they form may be large enough to be seen by medical testing or microscopic. Regardless of the size, they exert tremendous tension on the tissues where they form. Many standard tests such as x-rays, myelograms, CAT scans, electromyography, etc. do not show facial restrictions. We believe an extremely high percentage of people suffering with pain and/or lack of motion may be having facial problems. However, because of the limitations of the medical tests available, most go undiagnosed. Adhesions and scar tissue remain in our bodies long after the original event that precipitated them. They may adhere the injured tissues to nerves, muscles, ligaments, tendons, fascia, or organs, which may cause decreased movement or pain. The tissues begin to shrink somewhat as adhesions are formed causing more irritation to the area and perpetuating the adhesion formation. The term myofacial release was made popular by John Barnes, P.T., a physical therapist in America. He has done much work with the facial system and developed methods to release restrictions in that system. We use these methods at the clinic in conjunction with many other modalities to release pain throughout the body Myofacial release uses slow, gentle, continuous stretching in the area of restriction until the body decides on its own to release and return to a more normal state. Since this technique is slow, gentle and non-invasive, it encourages but does not force the facial system to return to a relaxed position. This can take great patience on the part of the therapist. Adhesions and scar tissue may be broken down using specific hands on techniques. These gentle techniques do not breakdown the primary adhesions that are responsible for healing, but do break down excessive cross-links that form scars and adhesions. When the adhesions are broken down, there is increased mobility, improved strength and decreased pain. Myofacial release must be tailored to each individual patient, their specific complaint, and the overall condition of their physical, mental and emotional body. It must treat the WHOLE person. It is not an approach that may be applied generically to all people. Many factors must be considered and weighed and the individuals body must guide the treatment from start to finish. The therapist is only there to assist. The goal of myofacial release is to relieve pain and restore function to allow the person to lead a full active life. The Goal Myofacial Trigger Point Therapy is an innovative technique used to relieve muscular pain and dysfunction. This hands-on approach is based on the lifelong medical research of Doctors Janet Travell and David Simons. These pioneers discovered the causal relationship between chronic pain and the source—trigger points. Trigger points may develop anywhere in the body, but are most commonly found at the sites of the greatest mechanical and postural stress. Trigger points are an area of hyper irritability within soft tissue structures that are characterized by local tenderness and may include referred phenomena. These referred sensations can include pain, tingling, numbness burning, or itching. According to the writings of Drs. Travell and Simons, referred pain is the defining symptom of a myofacial trigger point. It is felt most often as an oppressive deep ache, although movement can sharpen the pain. Referred myofacial pain can be as intense and intolerable as pain from any other cause. Some common examples of referred pain are headaches, sinus pain, and the kind of pain in the neck that wont let you turn your head. In fact, that pain in your hip or knee can be nothing more serious than referred pain from myofacial trigger points (tiny contraction knots) in overworked or strained muscles of the hip and thigh. The following conditions are often misdiagnosed and facial pain can be the true source of the problem for:- Abdominal Pain-- Achilles Tendinitis-- Adhesive Capsulitis -- Angina -- Ankle Sprain -- Arthritis Back Pain -- Buckling Knee -- Burning Pain -- Bursitis -- Calf Cramps -- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome -- Dizziness -- Drooping Eyelid -- Earache -- Endometriosis Eyelid Twitching -- Eye Pain -- Fi-bro myalgia -- Finger Pain -- Foot Pain-- Frozen Shoulder Genital Pain -- Golfers Elbow -- Gout -- Groin Pain -- Growing Pains -- Hammertoe -- Headache Heartburn -- Heel Pain -- Hip Pain -- Irritable Bowel -- Jaw Pain -- Joint Pain and Stiffness Joint Popping -- Knee Pain -- Knuckle Pain -- Leg Pain -- Locked Knee -- Low Back Pain -- Migraine -- Mortons Foot -- Neck Pain -- Numbness in Hands or Feet Osteoarthritis -- Painful Intercourse -- Pelvic Pain -- Penis Pain -- Peripheral Neuropathy Phantom Limb Pain -- Piriformis Syndrome -- Plantar Fasciitis -- Prostate Pain -- Rectal Pain Repetitive Strain Injury -- Restless Legs -- Rotator Cuff Injury -- Runners Knee -- Sciatica Sensitive Teeth -- Shin Splints -- Shoulder Pain -- Side Stitch -- Sinus Symptoms -- Spinal Pain Stiff Fingers -- Stumbling -- Subluxations -- Tendinitis – Tennis Elbow -- Testicle Pain Thoracic Outlet Syndrome -- Thumb Pain -- Tingling in Hands or Feet -- TMJ Disorder -- Toe Pain -- Tongue Pain -- Toothache -- Trigeminal Neuralgia -- Turf Toe -- Vaginismus -- Vertigo -- Vulva dynia – Whiplash Injury -- Wrist Sprain -- Writers cramp In trigger point therapy the source of the referred pain, perpetuating factors, and dysfunctional postural patterning are identified. Through the use of trigger point pressure release and stretching exercises, the therapist quickly eliminates and/or reduces the irritability of the dysfunctional muscle. Most patients with myofacial pain and dysfunction see excellent results, and a quick return to their normal daily and professional activities. John Young is a corrective exercise specialist, and holistic health practitioner, who specialises in exercise rehabilitation, deep tissue massage therapy and manual lymphatic drainage massage therapy. John qualified as a practitioner in the UK. USA & Hungary John currently runs a massage and rehabilitation clinic in Putney south west London. He can be contacted at the clinic on the reception telephone number 02087857220 visit our website at massageandrehabilitationclinic or email him on jypt@hotmail so, whatever your needs, give him a ring. Stay well, live long and be happy
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 08:31:59 +0000
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