Myofascial Release with a twist

John Barnes style myofascial release is somewhat different then traditional myofascial release.  The definition of traditional MFR is a form of soft tissue therapy used to treat somatic dysfunction and accompanying pain and restriction of motion. This is accomplished by relaxing contracted muscles, increasing circulation, increasing venous and lymphatic drainage, and stimulating the stretch reflex of muscles and overlying fascia.  John Barnes style MFR does all of this as well as focuses on the release of the subconscious tissue memory or "holding pattern".  In many instances, the diagnostic tests we are most familiar with, do not show lesions or impairment, however, clients continue to report symptoms, similar to phantom limb symptoms.  The treatment is based on the theory that our subconscious mind will hold onto a restriction until it feels we are out of danger.  This restriction can be any symptom without any logical reason.  The trauma could have occurred decades ago, however the symptom has not yet come to a resolution and thus it continues to report an "error".  Commonly, this message is pain.  This work accesses the "error report" so that the body can begin to heal.  Muscle spasms let go, the "locked" fight or flight response subsides, the body recovers from chronic fatigue without the constant, underlying need to guard or brace and the tissue is rehydrated and heals at the cellular level.  This "error report" has shown to be stored predominantly in the fascial system. 

Trauma, inflammatory responses, and/or surgical procedures create Myofascial restrictions that can produce tensile pressures of approximately 2,000 pounds per square inch on pain sensitive structures that do not show up in many of the standard tests (x-rays, myelograms, CAT scans, electromyography, etc.)  The medical approach is to drug patients so they temporarily are free from pain, but does nothing about the “straight-jacket” of pressure that is causing the pain. Traditional physical, occupational and massage therapy treats the symptoms caused by the pressure of the "straightjacket” of the Myofascial system, but does nothing about the “straightjacket” of pressure that causes and perpetuates the symptoms. This is why so many patients only have temporary results never seeming to get better with traditional therapy. Only Myofascial Release treats the entire Myofascial mind/body complex eliminating the pressure of the restricted Myofascial system (the straightjacket) that causes the symptoms.
Myofascial Release is a safe and very effective hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure into the Myofascial connective tissue restrictions to eliminate pain and restore motion. This essential “time element” has to do with the viscous flow and the piezoelectric phenomenon: a low load (gentle pressure) applied slowly will allow a viscoelastic medium (fascia) to elongate.

The fascia is a specialized system of the body that has an appearance similar to a spider's web or a sweater. Fascia is very densely woven, covering and interpenetrating every muscle, bone, nerve, artery and vein, as well as, all of our internal organs including the heart, lungs, brain and spinal cord. The most interesting aspect of the fascial system is that it is not just a system of separate coverings. It is actually one continuous structure that exists from head to toe without interruption. In this way you can begin to see that each part of the entire body is connected to every other part by the fascia, like the yarn in a sweater.  In the normal healthy state, the fascia is relaxed and wavy in configuration. It has the ability to stretch and move without restriction. When one experiences physical trauma, emotional trauma, scarring, or inflammation, however, the fascia loses its pliability. It becomes tight, restricted, and a source of tension to the rest of the body. Trauma, such as a fall, car accident, whiplash, surgery or just habitual poor posture and repetitive stress injuries has cumulative effects on the body. The changes trauma causes in the fascial system influences comfort and function of our body. Fascial restrictions can exert excessive pressure causing all kinds of symptoms producing pain, headaches or restriction of motion. Fascial restrictions affect our flexibility and stability, and are a determining factor in our ability to withstand stress and perform daily activities.

Much of what we are taught concerning our health and how to stay that way has been known to be obsolete for close to seventy years! Despite the fact that the information has been known to be outdated, it is still being taught in most medical, dental, and therapeutic schools, leading to the frustration of temporary results and a health care system on the verge of bankruptcy and collapse.
It is time to change and update our paradigm, which is a shared set of assumptions, a model of reality. Our society’s model of reality is logical, but a terribly flawed and incomplete paradigm.