Myofascial Release Therapy (MFR) for treating compression and pain

What is Myofascial Release (MFR therapy)? How can it relieve pain? Let's discuss how MFR has improved our health and reduced pain and share articles about how MFR works. MFR helps so many different conditions that have compressed tissues, and entrapped blood vessels and nerves. The time to avoid MFR treatment would be if a person has cancer, because in releasing tight tissues, cancer cells could be released and able to migrate through the body.

Myofascial release is a way to stretch the fascial layers that holds our body together. The fascia is connective tissue that forms a web matrix that interconnects everything in the body. It has recently been described as the "Interstitium" or a new organ in the body.

Fascia can be too tight from injuries or surgical scar tissue, and hold the body in poor ergonomics which can lead to nerve compression. Fascia can be stretched or "released" and it will remodel itself by changing from a semi solid to liquid form which brings circulation to an area of compressed tissue which then expands the tissue and circulation, and it enables removal of metabolic waste products. Using their hands, the trained therapist will find the path of fascial restriction in the patient's body and push against it gently in a shearing motion, and wait for the tissue to start to slide. The patient can feel the movement and become body aware. This path of fascial movement can reach the full length of the body and cross over between sides. This path changes as it unravels, and often there is a vasomotor response that can be seen on the skin temporarily as a reddish area where circulation has been restored which is shown on the photo below near the therapist's hands. Treatment must be slow and gentle to prevent the body from guarding in a protective response. This is why aggressive methods to stretch fascia often fail and can cause injuries by tearing the fascia and forming scar tissue that just adds to the problem of fascial tightness.

Fascia also holds tissue memory, and in releasing it, sometimes there is a release of emotions tied to an injury that was a cause of the problem. Stress and injury can cause guarding behavior and tissue tightness that become permanent over time, and MFR and working on emotional health helps a person recover from the physical and emotional effects of stress and trauma on the body.

MFR is helpful to so many conditions that have an underlying physical cause. The physical therapist who developed this treatment method forty years ago is John Barnes. He has developed courses and MFR certifications for physical therapists. There is a lot of information about MFR at myofascialrelease.com as well as directory of therapists treating with MFR. A person may also contact Therapy on the Rocks in Sedona, AZ, and ask for recommendations of therapists who have been trained in the John Barnes Methods. MFR therapy is becoming better known and accepted healing therapy, although there are some doctors who are unaware of the benefits.

I wanted to create this discussion to help organize this information and I thought the Neuropathy group would be a good place to start because someone in pain might look here, but we could have this discussion in many discussion groups. Animals such as dogs, cats and horses have also benefited from this therapy. Hopefully as we collect information here, this discussion can be referenced and shared in the many other discussions on Mayo Clinic Connect.

Here is an incomplete list of conditions that can be helped with MFR treatment.

You may find this list and further information at https://www.myofascialrelease.com/about/problems-mfr-helps.aspx

Back pain
Bladder Problems (Urgency, Frequency, Incontinence, Overactive Bladder, leakage
Birth Injuries
Bulging Disc
Bursitis
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Cerebral Palsy
Cervical and Lumbar spine injuries
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic Pain
Degenerative Disc Disease
Endometriosis
Emotional Trauma
Fibromyalgia
Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)
Herniated Disc
Headaches or Migraines
Infertility
Interstitial Cystitis
Menstrual Problems
Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Neck Pain
Osteoarthritis
Pelvic Pain
Plantar Fascitis
Pudental Nerve Entrapment
Scars (hypertrophic, hypersensitive, painful, burn scars, mastectomy scars)
Sciatica
Scoliosis
Shin Splints
Tennis Elbow
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
TMJ syndrome
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Vulvodynia
Whiplash

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Neuropathy Support Group.

Kratom saved my life. It gives you energy, helps depression, and the pain plus it is not very expensive. And 100 percent natural. It’s ground up leaves from the tree. Also starts working in 30 minutes.

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I have read some of these comments and just wonder if MFR therapy could help me with a bad knee that's inflammed (many years in deterioration) and also a rotten hip that is probably a result of the knee corroding. The knee is inflammed and getting more inflammed. I am 78 (almost), had surgery over 50 years ago on my knee which had a torn cartilege. I'm looking, obviously, for pain relief.

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@adam365

Kratom saved my life. It gives you energy, helps depression, and the pain plus it is not very expensive. And 100 percent natural. It’s ground up leaves from the tree. Also starts working in 30 minutes.

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I just looked up kratom. Don't know why you used it, but it doesn't have a very good review from Mayo. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/kratom/art-20402171
It would have been wonderful if it were safe -- I am looking for pain relief myself. I have been off drugs, legal and illegal for many years. I take prescription medication (I'm figuring kratom is not) when I figure it's necessary, not necessarily when the doctor wants to prescribe. Not saying this is right, but that's how I am now after having suffered at the hands of doctors. I'll go to doctors when I deem it necessary. I'll do what they say if I want to. But I'm glad I looked it up, so I'll be careful.

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@artscaping My husband went for a myofascial release session for his idiopathic PN with an occupational therapist trained in the Barnes method thanks to your suggestion. He found it interesting and pleasant. She showed him how his body was out of alignment and worked on him. As he continues with the therapy I'll let you know how it goes. He's gotten down to taking only 600 mg of Gaba/day for his pain although he's still in pain every day. I've been listening to the podcasts from curable health thanks to @lorirenee1 about pain and the brain. Interesting. Wondering if neuropathic pain and the brain is different than general back pain that the neuroplasticity exercises appear to work so well for.

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Good evening @greenacres......what a wonderful post with good news. And you have connected with @lorirenee1. That is also a great source and from a person who has an empathic heart. Yes, neuroplasticity is the foundation for all of the mindfulness practice that i do with my mindfulness meditation group. It has taken quite a few years of constant practice for me to become somewhat adept at mindfulness. However, as. a human being, my changes have been amazing and I am committed to continually explore the knowledge process.

It appears that the gabapentin withdrawal was successful. 600 mg is where I am and only at night.

May you and your husband have joy and happiness.
Chris

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@artscaping

Good evening @greenacres......what a wonderful post with good news. And you have connected with @lorirenee1. That is also a great source and from a person who has an empathic heart. Yes, neuroplasticity is the foundation for all of the mindfulness practice that i do with my mindfulness meditation group. It has taken quite a few years of constant practice for me to become somewhat adept at mindfulness. However, as. a human being, my changes have been amazing and I am committed to continually explore the knowledge process.

It appears that the gabapentin withdrawal was successful. 600 mg is where I am and only at night.

May you and your husband have joy and happiness.
Chris

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Hi Chris, Thanks for your response. May you remain healthy and strong, Michelle

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@johnbishop

Does anyone know of a therapist in the Rochester, MN area that specializes in MFP? I'm thinking it will help with lower back ache that I'm guessing is part old age, part osteoperosis and most likely poor posture ☺ I've had it for years but it's better some days and not so other days.

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Matrix Repatterning in St Paul

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@namijneb3

Matrix Repatterning in St Paul

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Hello @namijneb3, Welcome to Connect. Sorry, I had a typo in my post - MFP should have been MFR for Myofasical Release Therapy. There is a discussion about it here - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/

Do you mind sharing what you were searching for when you found Connect?

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So how does thus help with nerve damage due to PN!!!

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@twobrooklyn

So how does thus help with nerve damage due to PN!!!

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My feet and calves become especially tight at night due to the neuropathy. My theory is that the muscle tightness compresses the peripheral nerves. MFR-type massage may help relieve that compression. I only know that my pain level improved considerably after I started doing a crude MFR each night.

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