What is Myofascial Release?
Myofascial Release (Muscle - Fascia - Release) is a technique used to release fasica which has become stuck, hardened and/or dehydrated. Restricted fascia and soft tissues lead to often undiagnosed pain,exhaustion and immune system dysfunctions.

What is Fascia?
Fascia is the strong connective tissue which envelopes and isolates the muscles of the body to give structural support and protection. Fascia is crucial to the body. It has three layers: the superficial fascia directly under the skin, deep fascia surrounds the muscles, bones, nerves and blood vessels, while the subserous fascia, deep inside the body. It is like a three-dimensional net, reaching right through the body, surrounding individual muscle fibres, tendons, ligaments, nerves, organs, lymph vessels, blood vessels and capillaries. Through the meninges and the dural tube fascia plays a crucial role in the central nervous system. Fascia has a tensile strength of around 2000lbs per square inch.

Fascia and muscular pain
Hardening of the fascia occurs in response to physical or emotional trauma. MFR is necessary for recovery from all types of physical injuries and conditions such as sporting injuries, back and neck pain, whiplash, stress-related muscular tension and repetitive strain injuries. Each muscle fiber has a fascial binding, and so muscle and fascia are functionally linked. Injuries or imbalances in the muscular system will cause the fascia to tighten and dehydrate, and it is often restrictions in fascia which give rise to 'muscle' pain or ‘tendonitis’.

The wider impact of fascial restrictions
Restricted fascia can be extremely painful itself and cause surrounding fascia to harden. Structures around restricted fascia cannot move without friction. This will not show up in any standarad medical tests.

What happens when fascia gets 'stuck'?
Fascia is composed mainly of collagen (40%) and lubricating ground substance. Both muscle and ground substance are 70% water, so fascia acts like a sponge. With physical and emotional trauma it dehydrates reducing the lubricant qualities between the collagen fibres and decreasing the distance between the fibers. This puts pressure on the adjacent structures, leading to more collagen fibres being produced (to help take the strain) and leading to more density of hard fascia in that area.

What does Myofascial Release treat?

MFR is also used in the treatment of immune system dysfunctions such as Fibromyalgia, CFS, IBS and others. It is unparalleled in its ability to provide fundamental release from pain and fatigue arising from physical and other trauma such as:

* Chronic pain
* Neck and back pain
* Headaches and migraines
* Jaw problems, TMJ
* Whiplash and other trauma
* Frozen shoulder
* Sports injuries
* ‘Pulled muscles’ and muscle tears
* Scar tissue and other adhesions
* RSI, carpal tunnel syndrome
* Plantar fasciitis, heel spurs
* ‘Tendonitis’ and bursitis
* Undiagnosed or generalised pain
* Stress-related muscular tension
* Emotional stress and fatigue associated with physical trauma
* Fibromyalgia
* Myofascial Pain Syndrome
* Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Myofascial Release Techniques
A Myofascial Release practitioner uses a variety of techniques including gross or 'cross-hand' stretches, focused stretches, skin rolling, 'windmill' or J-stretches, fascial glide, deep 3-dimensional stretches, following fascia layers in their direction of ease, pulls, focused rebounding, shaking or rocking, tender point treatment and trigger point release. Other muscle release techniques may well be used during the same session and tendons, ligaments, muscle tissue and fascia will be treated.

Mind-body Approaches to Trauma
After traumatic events or low level prolonged duration stress the mind-body can respond with physiological changes including hypervigilance - being on 'red alert' all the time, panic attacks, palpitations, disturbed sleep, fatigue, and so on. There are a variety of approaches to allow the autonomic nervous system to re-regulate itself, let go of stress responses safely, find a new and healthy 'normal' setting and learn how to cope with current and future stress in a healthy way.