By Jahnavi Vidya
Myofascial Release Therapy is the release of restricted “fascia,” which has become stuck and dehydrated.
What is fascia? Fascia is a thin casing of connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber and muscle in place. The tissue does more than provide internal structure; fascia has nerves that make it almost as sensitive as skin. When stressed, it tightens up.
When the fascia – or connective tissues in your body get restricted, it leads to exhaustion, inflammation, chronic pain, and improper functioning of the immune system. But what many people don’t realize is that fascia restriction can happen in response to emotional trauma as well as physical injury or illness.
It’s a live protective sheath working hard to protect you from bacterial and viral invaders and sending sensory messages back and forth to your brain. It is three-dimensional, completely continuous throughout the body and is the fundamental connective tissue that builds and joins together muscle fibers, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels, organs, capillaries, and lymph vessels.
Did you know that in your hand you have 26 fascia alone! Your feet have massive amounts of fascia. Ever heard of Plantar fasciitis? People who suffer from this definitely will know. Its extremely painful. Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of a thick band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes. The inflamed tissue runs across the bottom of the foot. Symptoms include stabbing pain near the heel. Pain might be worst in the morning.
In addition, fascia plays a critical role in the central nervous system through the dural tube that encases the brain and spinal cord and the meninges – these membrane layers of fascia contain and protect your entire central nervous system.
It is incredibly strong and resilient – able to withstand a pressure of up to 2000 lbs per square inch. In a healthy body, it is stretchable with no restriction. But when things go wrong – anywhere in the body – it can affect the entire fascial network. Fascia binds every muscle fiber, with both fascia and muscle fibers functionally interlinked. Therefore, any imbalance or injury to the muscles will result in the fascia tightening and dehydrating. And restrictions in the fascia can result in muscle imbalances.
It is these restrictions that cause pain.
Going deeper, the complete circulatory system, as well as the nervous system, is surrounded, supported, and penetrated by a web of fascia. If there is any restriction in the fascia, it squeezes those parts affecting circulation and movement, heart rate, and respiration.
But any restriction in the fascia, anywhere in the body, can manifest in various sorts of pain. First, an injury causes the surrounding fascia to harden. Consequently, the area around the fascia does not move freely, and pain and swelling increase.
Over time the restriction in the fascia can spread to other areas of the body. When myofascial restrictions turn into pain, the pain is sharp, throbbing, deep, and constant, but finding the exact source or root cause can be very difficult.
The therapy is also beneficial in releasing connective tissue that causes dysfunctions in the immune system like IBS, Fibromyalgia, CFS, and other conditions. In addition, it is an ideal therapy for relieving fatigue and severe pain in the following conditions:
Chronic lower back and neck pain
Migraines and headaches
TMJ and jaw issues
Sports injuries
Sprained muscles and ligament tears
Fibromyalgia
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Whiplash and other kinds of trauma
Myofascial related medical conditions and chronic pain syndromes
Heel spurs, plantar fasciitis
Muscular tension brought on by stress
What Does Fascia Have To Do With Emotional Trauma?
Fascia can harden and become dehydrated also as a result of emotional trauma and the body’s response to extreme stress. This dehydration, tightening, and hardening decreases the space between the fibers and increases friction and irritation inside the fascia. As a result, fibers shorten, thicken, and constrict, putting pressure on the adjoining areas. This resulting pressure then compresses nerves and capillaries. Which in turn leads to discomfort, pain, and reduced blood flow in the area, affecting the immune system and reducing your resilience even further. But Myofascial Release Therapy can stop this stress-related cascade in its tracks. It rehydrates the fascia, restoring elasticity, and widening the space between the fibers to improve circulation and help blood and oxygen flow smoothly around the body again.
So if you feel as though your muscles are tight and pulling in different directions, maybe it is now time you see JAHNAVI for a Fascial release session.
Call her to book your appointment now
Jahnavi
083 845 1457
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