Myofascial Release

Myofascial release is an alternative and holistic based therapy that may help reduce and prevent various musculoskeletal complaints involving the muscle fibers, the surrounding thinner fascia layers and other nearby soft structures when performed by a highly trained and skilled massage therapist.

What Is Myofascial Syndrome?

Myofascial Syndrome is a chronic and painful disorder of the myofascial tissues that surround the muscles. This muscle fascia also helps support those muscles when they perform the necessary muscle functions that are needed for movement and muscle related stability and health.

Individuals often complain of pain, body aches and other discomforts that tend to develop in certain muscles throughout the body. This discomfort is often caused when muscles and nearby fascia is triggered causing stress, irritation, greater sensitivity and painful tension in those triggered body regions. This discomfort often can be felt where those muscle fiber knots develop. These knots are typically painful when touched or during movements.

Myofascial Syndrome, and similar musculoskeletal pain disorders, often limit a person’s movement and flexibility in the generalized body area where the discomforts are located. This situation is caused by tightened muscle fibers that may constrict tightly causing pain, stiffness and a decrease of normal muscle movement.

Common Symptoms of Myofascial Syndrome & Related Disorders:

• Development of trigger points that are painful, tight and highly sensitive in triggered muscle groups
• Restriction of normal muscle movement
• Decrease flexibility of nearby joints
• May notice other body area discomforts farther away from the triggered muscle areas
• Muscles may develop knots that pull and constrict causing pain when touched or during movement
• Some individuals complain of increased muscle tension that may feel like burning sensations
• Could experience throbbing needle like pains when involved area is touched
• Pain could be chronic involving jaw, back, shoulders, legs, neck and other discomfort areas
• Increase in headaches. especially stress-related ones. like migraines and tension headaches
• Patients may have limited mobility, increased tension and stiffness in targeted body regions

There can be several causes of myofascial related symptoms and pain that may be experienced throughout the body in a chronic manner or discomforts that are felt only in certain muscle groups.

Common causes of muscle and fascial related discomforts include:

• Injuries to musculoskeletal areas after a fall event
• Injuries related to a motor vehicle accident
• Development of various diseases or other health disorders that impact muscles and surrounding tissues
• Sports related injuries
• Long illness that could decrease muscle mass and mobility
• Development of musculoskeletal issues impacting mobility – MS, Lupus and other autoimmune disorders, paralysis or muscle weakness necessitating mobility aids like wheelchairs, canes or walkers
• Aging processes that could negatively impact muscle related motions and decreased overall body flexibility
• Side effects from medications or medical treatments that negatively impact muscles and nearby soft tissues

It is important for patients to understand how injuries and other negative events and health conditions may cause pain and a decrease in normal muscle movements in impacted body areas.

Then, it is wise to seek a trained therapist able to provide specific remedies and treatments designed to get to the root of muscle and related soft tissue symptoms to stimulate the body’s natural healing processes.

Why Do Some Muscle Related Injuries & Discomforts Remain After Traditional Medical Treatments?

The traditional medical approach to treated musculoskeletal problems usually only targets a specific symptom like pain. Many patients still feel muscle aches, stiffness, hypersensitivity or impacted trigger points within muscle fibers and fascia even after completing drug therapy and other medical treatments.

This is thought to be due to symptom focused therapy rather than exploring where and why the pain and other negative symptoms are occurring in the first place. Experienced massage and other physical and occupational therapists are trained to look for the root causes of a patient’s discomforts.

Why Myofascial Release Therapy Offers an Alternative & Effective Approach to Muscular Problems

Myofascial release therapy can often help alleviate current discomforts while strengthening the muscles and hopefully stimulating the body’s own natural healing mechanisms. The fascia is a thin layer of tissue that encapsulates the muscle groups and helps support muscles and other nearby structures.

An Overview of How Myofascial Release May Help

Fascia covers and surrounds the smaller muscle fibers and other soft structures. A skilled therapist will use a variety of gentle stretches that help the therapist feel the muscle reaction in tissues nearby each trigger point. This helps the therapist to accurately judge whether the therapy is working and how to best proceed after each mild stretch exercise along with any other related treatment such as musculoskeletal therapeutic maneuvers.

How Myofascial Release May Help with Referred Pain & Other Issues

Myofascial release often helps with referred pains that are often felt in other body areas. Your chosen therapist will direct and target the therapy to release muscle and fascia tension, relieve pain and help improve muscle function and increase muscle strength in supportive tissues.

Most individuals report feeling more relaxed both during the therapy and afterwards. This is a gentle touch treatment option that is designed to lower overall stress along with helping to decrease specific trigger point muscle sites at the same time.

Some Additional Benefits of Myofascial Release Therapy

Patients often report better sleep and less overall mental and body stress following this treatment option. In addition, consider inquiring about at home stretch therapy.

We can help to develop a customized home exercise and stretching routine that will suit your specific therapeutic goals and support your therapeutic progress in between treatment sessions. This may help to increase your chances of meeting your therapy goals for long-term overall health and wellbeing.

Get in touch with Denver Sports Massage via phone at 303-630-9603 or online.