Myofascial Release
Fascia (pronounced 'fa sha') is a broad term referring to connective tissue of the muscles, and the interconnected nature of the entire body. When posture and movement patterns create tension points, the tension pulls on the entire sheet of tissue. Imagine bunching part of a bed sheet in your hand, and noticing the rest of the sheet becoming tighter.
Myofascial release is a light touch modality involving the therapist placing their hands on or around tension points in the sheet. They wait about one to two minutes for a sense of the tissue melting or softening, and add directional intention to encourage the entire sheet to loosen. This produces a very calming effect on the nervous system, and patients typically report feeling much better after their first treatments. Reducing restrictions changes the momentum toward easier movement with less pain, which encourages more optimal patterns so we don't re-create the pain. This work is effective for chronic pain as well as acute injury or post-surgical rehabilitation.