Myofascial Release

Myofascial release therapy (MFR) was developed by John F. Barnes, PT to specifically address the fascia, the connective tissue that runs like a three-dimensional web throughout the body. MFR involves applying gentle, sustained pressure into myofascial connective tissue restrictions to eliminate pain and restore motion. Three main components, structural releases, unwinding, and rebounding combined with an awareness or energy to enable the patient to break through physical and emotional restrictions.

By going slowly and waiting for the body’s natural rhythm, the fascia responds to your therapist’s skilled touch by elongating, rehydrating, and reorganizing. MFR opens space for fluid and energy movement, facilitating greater circulation and communication—allowing the body to heal.

Myofascial Release is a hands-on treatment performed on the skin with no oils or creams. The gentle tension between the therapist’s hands and the patient’s skin is what allows access to the fascia in a way that the gliding effect of traditional massage cannot achieve. MFR incorporates many new types of body manipulation to improve movement and function. For example, one technique to relieve restrictions in the lower back is a cross-hand technique, with one hand on the crest of the hip and the other on the lower ribs. Your therapist’s hands will sink into the fascia and then move away from one another without sliding on the skin. Sustained, gentle force allows the fascia to release in a slow, non-linear manner. The release will allow the therapist to then follow the body’s cues to the next area. MFR does not simply treat your symptoms.It allows us to work together to find the spiral of restrictions causing your pain.