Our mental and physical health are bidirectional, each affecting the other in powerful ways.
When our body is ailing, the physical changes can impact our mood. When our mind is struggling, our body can become trapped in a tense fight-or-flight state. This can release excess hormones and neurotransmitters that create psychosomatic symptoms.
Empowered Life Therapy contributes to greater total well-being with myofascial therapy that supports healthy, synthesizing connections between body and mind.
Fascia is a thin, strong and flexible connective tissue that covers and supports nearly every body component, including our muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, organs and blood vessels.
Made mainly of collagen kept smooth with the body's water, fascia creates a protective sheath that serves us as a living, vigilant guard against infection. It's like a network of membranes of differing thicknesses that transmit messages between the body and mind.
Fascia also factors into our central nervous system through the dural tube that surrounds and protects the spinal cord and spinal nerves within the vertebral column.
While fascia is typically tough, resistant and pliable, the internal tension caused by stress or an ailment will restrict it and alter the messages it sends.
Restricted fascia can lead to diverse problems such as chronic pain, exhaustion, inflammation and weakened immunity. It can interfere with respiration and heart circulation as well.
Although fascia under duress can complicate our well-being, it also can be soothed back to health to serve and unite the mind and body again.
Myofascial pain involves "trigger points" (tight, sensitive spots) in the fascia and muscles that can cause:
local pain
referred pain (pain felt in a part of the body that isn't the source)
reduced range of motion
in some cases, autonomic symptoms (e.g. irregular heart rate, breathing, digestion)
Common indicators of myofascial pain can include:
deep, aching, throbbing pain
tender knots felt under the skin
worsening pain from stress or overuse
stiffness
weak or tingling muscles if the fascia irritates nerves
Myofascial pain differs from general muscle soreness and aches in that it is recurring or chronic.
One abstract identifies that according to different studies, the lifetime prevalence of myofascial pain among the general population is estimated to be up to 85%.
Myofascial release therapy is a personalized manual therapy that relieves tension and restrictions in the myofascial system. Focusing on the stuck and dehydrated fascia, it addresses the full fascial system according to the individual's specific circumstances.
Myofascial release massage differs from other standard massage types that emphasize rubbing, pinning and stretching muscle tissue through rhythmic pushing pressure.
With myofascial therapy, we use sustained gentle pressure that slowly softens and lengthens the restricted fascia by "hooking into" it. This helps to melt and rehydrate the restriction. By helping restore fascial elasticity and widen the spaces between the connective-tissue fibers, myofascial release techniques make the fascia mobile again.
Therapy also can include what we refer to as myofascial massage (without a specific reference to "release"). Less clinical in its approach, it still aims to loosen tight fascia but applies additional pressure such as that used with other deep-tissue massage types.
Myofascial massage feels more like a regular massage and less like therapeutic stretching or gentle traction received with myofascial release massage.
Some instances in which you might engage myofascial massage instead of myofascial release massage might include:
soothing treatment with a light therapeutic benefit (e.g. having rounded shoulders from working at a desk all week)
relaxation without a diagnosed injury or chronic pain (e.g. mild back tightness from lifting and bending)
pre-therapeutic introduction to bodywork (our term for hands-on therapy with a full-body focus)
whole-body maintenance that supports muscle/tissue recovery without a more-intense clinical approach (e.g. an athlete keeping muscles supple)
Many who have managed a mental health condition are likely aware of physical symptoms that can accompany it, such as:
Because the body has its own memory separate from the mind's, myofascial therapy can reach deeply embedded memories or emotions that even dedicated talk therapy alone may not always be able to.
This is significant in that in addition to prompting symptoms of distress, internally stored trauma will often cause the body to adopt the primary positions and movements from when the trauma(s) occurred.
By slowly nudging into, holding and lengthening the fascia's restricting barrier, myofascial release massage invites the body to soften rather than respond to a force.
As the tension lessens, the nervous system transitions from high alert back into a state of restful repair. The myofascial release techniques help return the calming sense that the body is at peace and able to protect itself, which quiets the mind.
When the originating source of persistent distress is a physical ailment, myofascial release therapy can provide comforting relief for conditions such as:
Because of the powerful connection among body, mind and spirit, a personal plan for balanced well-being can include a meaningful combination of myofascial therapy and individual talk therapy.
By approaching well-being as an interdependent circuit, Empowered Life Therapy focuses on enhancing emotional health, increasing self-awareness & self-compassion, and dissolving the barriers that can prevent living the best life as defined by the true self.
Just a few sensations people often describe from myofascial release therapy can be:
Matthew Taylor has been practicing massage therapy for more than 10 years. In addition to myofascial release massage, he specializes in massage types including Swedish, deep-tissue and Himalayan Hot Stone massage.
Matthew bases his approach to massage therapy on the principle of kairos as the gateway to therapeutic relationships and outcomes.
Kairos is the ancient Greek word referring to the idea of the right, opportune or critical moment. Different from the Greek chronos (chronological, linear, measurable time), kairos emphasizes when the timing is perfect for something significant to take place.
In personal well-being, the optimal alignment toward holistic healing occurs when:
the therapist holds an energetic container while re-educating the individual's body during the session
the individual commits to their healing work on body, mind and spirit
the individual is fully engaged in the healing process
Matthew began his education in massage therapy and bodywork at S.O.H.M.A.R. (School of Holistic Massage and Reflexology) in 2015. Since then, he has dedicated himself to further enhancing Swedish massage techniques and therapeutic techniques, particularly for myofascial release.
Matthew offers a safe, welcoming space for all people who seek greater mind-body health, including the LGBTQIA+ community.
Peace, calm and well-being are a synthesis of healthy body and mind. If you would like to talk more about how myofascial release massage can contribute to integrated care for you or someone important to you, contact us today at (630) 842-6585.
Swedish, Deep tissue, Himalayan Hot Stone massage, Myofascial release
Appointments for Estuary Center Sundays only
