WHAT IS MYOFASCIAL RELEASE THERAPY?
Myofascial Release Therapy (MRT) is a highly specialized stretching technique used to treat patients with a variety of soft tissue problems.
To understand what myofascial release is and why it works, you have to understand a little about fascia. Fascia is a thin tissue that covers all the organs of the body. This tissue also covers every muscle and every fiber within each muscle. All muscle stretching, then, is actually stretching of the fascia and the muscle, the myofascial unit. When muscle fibers are injured, the fibers and the fascia which surrounds it become short and tight. This uneven stress can be transmitted through the fascia to other parts of the body, causing pain and a variety of other symptoms in areas you often wouldn't expect. MRT treats these symptoms by releasing the uneven tightness in injured fascia.
Every MRT session is actually a combination of examination and treatment. Our therapists use their hands to evaluate the texture, tightness and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements.
MRT is not massage. It is used to equalize muscle tension throughout the body. Unequal muscle tension can compress nerves and muscles causing pain. Progress is measured by a decrease in the patient's pain and by an improvement in overall posture and ranges of motion.
What do we treat?
Here are a few of the many conditions that can be treated with MRT:
- Headaches
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Shoulder pain
- Rotator cuff injuries
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Sciatic nerve pain
- Shin splints
- Plantar fasciitis
- Knee problems
- Tennis elbow
- Golfer's elbow