What is Myofascial Release Therapy & Why is it Important?

Decreased flexibility, trigger points, heavy pulling sensations in your limbs … these are signs of tight fascia and all things myofascial release can treat.

t’s definitely not a cure-all, and not even one of my favourite, most effective techniques but if sticky, tight or otherwise dysfunctional fascia then myofascial release can have a noticeable and immediate impact on how well you move your body.

Your range of motion is not just limited by your joint mobility and after myofascial release, the treatment area can feel a lot more mobile.

WHAT IS FASCIA?

SO, no one really knows what fascia actually is, like what the cells or anatomical structures of fascia really are. We can't break it into layers like the skin or muscle layers and call it the endofascia, fascia, or hypofascia, or even endofascia, perifascia, or ectofascia. That's just not what fascia is.

Fascia is essentially like little spiderwebs, or cobwebs if you will. Something inside our bodies between the muscle layers that binds structures together and allows structures to stick to one another. It’s a very thin fibrous web-like tissue that envelops and connects our muscles, organs, and bones and it’s the thing that keeps our bodies stable.

Fascia helps to absorb shock within the body and it can contract and relax independently from the muscles and organs they support. Crazily enough though, fascia sorta has a mind of it's own and can bind structures together, even if it's detrimental to human movement. Fascia and mobility sort of have a use it or lose it a relationship.

Fascia and mobility have a use-it-or-lose-it relationship. Stay mobile, and your fascia stays mobile with you. When you stop moving through your full range, your fascia adapts to that. Over time it becomes less pliable in those ranges — making it harder to get them back. It's not permanent, but it does compound.

what causes trauma in fascia?

Injuring yourself is the obvious answer, but honestly just living your normal day-to-day life can cause problems too.

Any damaging repetitive motion, or sedentary lifestyle will take toll on your fascia causing sticky, heavy sensations and leaving you with less than desirable ranges of motion.

Stress and anxiety affect your fascia too. When you're in fight-or-flight mode, you might hike your shoulders, grip your fists, or clench your jaw without realizing it. Do that enough, and your fascia adapts to that braced position. Just like it adapts to any pattern you repeat.

HOW DOES MYOFASCIAL RELEASE WORK?

Problems in your fascia are often talked about as “trigger points” or “knots” but that's not necessarily the case.

The healthy fascia should feel elastic and mobile to the touch, so a myofascial release technique will begin by identifying the areas that feel tight and rigid when compared to other structures in that same region.

Once your massage therapist identifies the problem areas, they apply manual pressure — directly or indirectly — to warm and lengthen the tissue. The goal is to get the fascia to release.

For certain areas, like the feet, your therapist may use other tools like guasha or stainless steel instruments to get those hard-to-reach spaces.

When your fascia is relaxed and pliable, it can give you back greater range of motion and can help you move easier throughout your day.

Capria Care Collective is taking new bookings, so if you’ve been looking for an RMT in Coquitlam who can help you with get a myofascial release, look no further!

Keep Reading

The Four Principles of Massage — the framework every RMT uses to make treatments both relaxing and therapeutic
Sports Massage Therapy — how targeted massage supports recovery for active bodies
Massage Therapy for Chronic Pain — what the evidence actually says about massage and long-term pain relief
Massage Therapy at Capria — what we offer and how to book