Myofascial Release

Bill Thomas and his care team at Professional Therapy Solutions have over 20 years of experience treating TMJ, joint mobilization, back, and neck pain with myofascial release therapy. This type of procedure is a hands-on technique used to treat pain and limited motion in the soft tissues. It helps by relaxing contracted muscles, increasing circulation and lymphatic drainage, and stimulating the stretch reflex of muscles and overlying fascia.

What Is Fascia?

Fascia is a thin tissue encasing all the organs in your body, including every muscle and each fiber within those muscles. When muscle fibers are injured or damaged, they become short and tight, which can be felt deep inside your body. Over time, this uneven stress on fascia can cause pain, as well as tightness and sensitivity throughout other areas. This pain typically originates in trigger points within the myofascial tissue, which makes is very hard to find and localize. Myofascial release combats these symptoms by releasing the uneven tension in an injured fascia by stretching it gently, yet firmly, with special tools and techniques like foam rolling or massage balls.

The Myofascial Process

Your physical therapist will locate the areas where you are experiencing tightness and apply a light stretch to that area. They will then wait for your tissue to relax, so they can deepen the stretch a little more, repeating the process as many times as necessary until the tightness reduces and relaxes altogether.

This process is very gentle and relaxing and might include massaging other areas close to the trigger points to broaden the stretch in your network of muscles. The wider the range of treatment, the more effective it is in releasing trigger points across multiple areas. Areas where myofascial tissue may become tight and can benefit from therapy include:

  • Arms
  • Feet
  • Head
  • Hips
  • Jaw
  • Legs (calves and quads)
  • Lower back
  • Neck
  • Shoulders

Risks and Benefits of Myofascial Release Therapy

This type of manual therapy has minimal risks, as its main goal is to relax and ease pain through massage and stretching techniques. However, it still may not be for everybody. Myofascial therapy may not be an ideal option for people with:

  • Burns or open wounds
  • Fractures or broken bones
  • Fragile bones
  • Deep vein issues
  • Blood thinning medications

Luckily, the benefits far outweigh the risks and their likelihood of occurring. A key note for this type of therapy is that one session won’t eradicate the pain immediately or overnight. For long-term relief, it’s recommended that you set up regular sessions with your physical therapist. With regular visits, you will begin to see benefits gradually, including:

  • Improved range of motion
  • Improved blood circulation
  • Shorter recovery time
  • Reduced muscle soreness & tightness
  • Stress relief
  • Overall relaxation

Myofascial Release Therapy in Madison, MS

If you have been enduring back, neck, joint, or another type of pain, myofascial release therapy could be the answer to your problems. To learn more about manual treatment options and how they can benefit you, give the Professional Therapy Solutions office a call at (601) 898-1828 or request and appointment online today.