Fascia is everywhere
Fascia is the body’s main connective tissue, connecting everything to everything else. Fascia forms a three-dimensional web running through and around all body structures including muscles, nerves, blood vessels, bones and organs.
Fascia is stronger than it looks
Seen under a microscope fascia looks very fragile, but it has a tensile strength of 2,000lb per square inch. That’s the equivalent of a panda sitting on you.
Fascia creates a structure within the body that is perfectly balanced. Without fascia the living skeleton would be a pile of bones on the floor!
Damage to fascia causes chronic pain
Any damage to the fascial web pulls the structure out of shape, like a snag in a jumper. This causes fascial restrictions, leading to limited movement and chronic pain. These restrictions can refer pain along lines of tension in the body. Hence a fascial restriction in your hip can lead to shoulder pain.
Chronic pain affects over 40% of people
Chronic pain affects 28 million people in the UK and includes common conditions such as back pain, headaches & migraines, jaw (TMJ) pain, repetitive strain injury (RSI) and fibromyalgia. These conditions are difficult to treat medically because they do not respond to standard medical approaches - many people are told to just live with their pain.
MFR is essential to restoring fascial health and pain-free living
Myofascial release is a gentle complementary therapy working to release fascial restrictions that cause chronic pain. It works by applying gentle and sustained pressure to allow fascia to release and return to its normal fluid
Myofascial release is the medicine of the 21st century
MFR has been described as the medicine of the 21st century, explaining and relieving chronic pain and other conditions through its mind-body engagement.
The “slow fix”
MFR is an effective self-help technique which works on the principle of the “slow fix”. The cells in your body are built to renew themselves, which takes about six months on average. Just as your body has gradually become stuck, so it can gradually become unstuck. You can work with your body to help release your fascia through regular fascial stretching and myofascial ball work.
Fascial stretching is a whole new way of stretching
Fascial stretching is gentler on your body and more effective than other types of stretching. Fascia takes 90-120 seconds to start to release, and holding one single stretch for 2-5 minutes will allow additional fascial releases to occur throughout your body, transmitted through the fascial web.
Myofascial balls are designed for self-help myofasclal release
Myofascial balls replicate the gentle pressure of an MFR treatment, unlike foam rollers (which are too hard), and can help you access hard-to-reach places. They are specifically designed for the purpose, as they are large enough to cover a good area yet still small enough to focus on irritable spots. They are inflatable, so are softer and therefore more giving than other balls, and can be inflated or deflated to the right pressure for the sensitivity of your body.
Written by Amanda Oswald.
Enjoy learning!
Valerie Leavitt
Boise Myofascial Release and Massage LLC
