Myofascial Release Therapy: Pain Management That Is Safe and Effective

When patients experience muscle tightness and a short range of movement, its often due to myofascial pain. Sometimes the condition has already progressed to a chronic state without being realised yet. Painkillers can temporarily numb out the pain, but that isn’t a long-term solution. Myofascial release therapy treatment tackles any soft tissue area in the body and is ideal for chronic back, hip, and neck pain. The treatment is safe and effective and will reduce the need for having to use OTC drugs for myofascial pain of the body.

What causes myofascial pain?

In most cases, myofascial pain occurs due to continued strain on certain muscles of the body, which leads to the damaging of the myofascial tissue. These will later become “trigger points” for the pain and tightness to occur. Tight fascia tissue causes a tight pulling on the muscles connected to the skeleton or connective tissue. This can also result in a limited range of motion.

What is myofascial therapy?

Myofascial therapy is a massage technique that helps to loosen tight and painful myofascial tissue. The therapy is also known as “myofascial release therapy” because of its method of “releasing” and stretching tightened tissue.

Practitioners who can help patients with myofascial release therapy include chiropractors and Physiotherapists therapists. Chiropractors use manual myofascial release therapy which may include direct pressure on the trigger points, or anchor-and-stretch myofascial therapy techniques like a massage of your muscles and your myofascial tissue.

Other treatments for myofascial pain include but are not limited to:

• Heat treatment – heat treatment or heat therapy is common in chiropractic to help relieve pain deep within muscles. It is effective and safe if you use this myofascial release therapy method.
• Posture training – your chiropractor will help you to improve your posture and in this way reduce the chances of reoccurring injuries as a result of incorrect posture like back pain.
• Massage – as mentioned, there are various massage techniques that are specifically designed to treat myofascial pain as part of myofascial release therapy.
• Dry needling – chiropractors may also resort to dry needling therapy to help “break” the tension within the muscle.
• Stretches – a chiro practitioner could show the patient some self-stretches that they would be able to do in their homes. Stretching improves range, mobility and elasticity.

Symptoms of Myofascial pain

Symptoms of the condition can differ from one person to the next. In most cases people often experience the following:

• Deep-set pain in the area affected
• Knot-like pain
• Sleeplessness as a result of the pain
• Pain in the affected areas seem to get worse

If you suspect that you could be experiencing myofascial pain, then it’s time to speak to your chiropractor in Pretoria about myofascial release therapy. You can get trusted advice and treatment that is tailored to your needs for myofascial therapy.

Other articles that might interest you

• Simple Ways To Improve Your Back Flexibility
• Treating Bursitis In The Shoulder With Chiropractic
• Understanding Morning Aches And How To Cope
• 4 Easy Ways To Correct Standing Posture With The Help Of Yoga Poses

FAQ Myofascial Release

Does myofascial treatment really work?
Pressure builds up in the trigger points of the myofascial areas causing restriction and pain. The treatment loosens up the muscles, improving blood circulation and easing the pain associated with it. There are studies that show that chiropractic and other manual treatment helps patients manage myofascial pain syndrome (MPS).

Where exactly is myofascial pain located?
Myofascial pain hasn’t got a specific location because it affects the connective tissue protecting the muscles and bones (musculoskeletal system). However, depending on which trigger points are affected, this would be where the pain is usually located.
A common example includes neck pain. The myofascial tissue trigger areas inside the neck need treatment.

Is it possible to do too much myofascial release treatment?
Myofascial treatment often adds foam rolling in the sessions. After a session of myofascial treatment, the pain should feel more manageable. If this is overdone for that session it could lead to increased soreness. This isn’t the point of the treatment. There should be a waiting period of 24 to 48 hours between sessions of foam rolling.

How often should I do the myofascial treatment?
It’s often later that old injuries tend to plague us. With chronic myofascial pain, it’s best to have regular treatments. Three times a week should be effective over a 3 month period whilst monitoring the healing process.

How do you perform a myofascial treatment?
Some people have managed to do this on their own using a foam roller, massage stick, or massage ball. Here is a simple way to “self-treat” your myofascial pain with a foam roller.

• Work with a small surface area to focus the treatment on this section
• Roll in a 360 degrees ensuring that the area is covered in a circle-like motion
• Apply pressure to one section (not forced)
• Include active motion during the process
• Continue to another muscle after this area is completed
• Roll at a slow pace for better effect