← Return to Myofascial Release Therapy (MFR) for treating compression and pain

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Profile picture for Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor @jenniferhunter

@helennicola I’m sorry it didn’t help you. It may depend on the source of your neck pain. If it is a structural problem of compression from something like a herniated disc or bone growth compressing a nerve, MFR wouldn’t change that. What MFR helps is tight tissue restrictions that are strong enough to cause misalignment or restrict body movements. If your body can’t move properly it can generate pain or uneven wear and tear on joints. One session of MFR isn’t enough. It’s like peeling an onion as you get deeper through layers of tight tissue restrictions. It took the body years to develop that pattern and it won’t be solved quickly. There is a lot you can do yourself to aid the work of the therapist. Many yoga type stretches holding a sustained pose will release fascia. The key is to not be aggressive, just hold it at the barrier and wait. It may take 5 minutes to start to move as the tissue changes state and unwinds itself. It has to be a shearing stretch. Too much force can tear fascia, increase pain and create scar tissue that makes it worse. The training of the therapist matters and the best ones have certification from John Barnes clinics. My insurance has paid for my MFR sessions when the therapist codes it as manual therapy in conjunction with other exercises.

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Replies to "@helennicola I’m sorry it didn’t help you. It may depend on the source of your neck..."

@jenniferhunter thank you Jennifer but I am aware of all possible treatments. I also have stiff muscles and of course the MFR specialist felt I would benefit from his treatment. I am a thorough researcher and have improved my SFN greatly in the past 8 years without any help from my neurologist. I have learned you have to be your own advocate and do your own research unfortunately as our health care industry is motivated by $. (Including of course the drug co.’s) I’m not a pessimist but have learned this from my experiences as well as many others and valid published info.

Jennifer, I hope you saw my comment about MFR Therapy. It's good to know that it's helped you. Very few people have heard of it. It's difficult to describe what it is but you did a good job. Are there any particular stretches that have helped you? Can you give me an example of a "shearing stretch"? My Physical Therapist has taught me to do calf stretches and balance exercises on a foam roller. Also, stretches with my feet over a chair. Last, a clam stretch to strengthen the muscle that weakens when you have sciatica. The laminectomy surgery for spinal stenosis that caused the painful sciatica is what caused my neuropathy to develop. I went for 4 months of acupuncture which didn't help at all!