Why Myofascial Release Massage Therapy is Necessary for an Active and Healthy Life

What’s the difference between massage and Myofascial Release?

If you’ve ever been to a massage establishment of any kind, you’ve probably seen numerous technique names, from the basic Swedish and Deep Tissue massage to any number of the other thousand massages offered in this field. But have you heard of Myofascial Release Therapy? Myofascial Release Therapy is what we specialize in here at Back In Balance Massage and Body Therapy. Most of our clients are referred to us by Doctors, Chiropractors and Physical Therapists. But what’s the difference between massage and Myofascial Release?

Massage is a pretty broad term and includes a variety of techniques and styles. These different styles and techniques can give a variety of benefits for relaxation and tension relief. Myofascial Release Therapy is more than a massage for relaxation, it is very precise and is meant to address specific areas of pain targeting areas that inhibit normal and comfortable movement. It is meant to fix the deeper issue versus temporary relief like a normal massage.

Fascia is a thin, yet strong connective tissue that wraps around and intertwines around every organ, muscle, bone, tendon, ligament, joint and nerve. This makes it a very complex network of tissue that literally is weaved throughout every part of your body. Because of it’s weaving throughout everything, it makes it so that if there is a problem within the fascia of one area it can affect many other areas of the body as well, thus making it very complex.

There can be a problem with the fascia of your foot that is actually affecting your back. Why? When the fascia surrounding a muscle becomes tense, the muscle can no longer fully function because it’s being constricted by this sleeve of connective tissue. Example: If the fascia that wraps around the upper shoulder area is damaged from inflammation, an injury, or even from stress, the tension within the fascia will begin to pull on the web of fibers and can potentially cause abnormal movement within your jaw. This can cause dysfunction and pain in your jaw and you have no idea that it’s actually because of your upper shoulder. If you’ve had CT scans and MRI’s that don’t show any damage but you are in ongoing pain and discomfort then it is probably because of fascia (does not show on scans) and are in need of real specialized therapeutic work known as Myofascial Release.