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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
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I will patiently await an answer to this.
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2 ReactionsHow do we go about finding therapists in the areas where we live? I have had PT for many issues and no one has ever mentioned this to me but I have peripheral neuropathy in both legs and the pain is so bad you can hurt me by just poking me with your finger and bumping me brings tears. If MFR can help in anyway, I’m in!
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1 ReactionI have a feeling you will have to make some phone inquiries. I think someone working independently with some type of wholistic medicine philosophy? I find relief in Pool Therapy. The owner of the business, who is a PT, just suggested MFR to me. We plan to do it this week at my visit. She was trained years ago, and used to do it frequently, but it was very hard on her physically, so she doesn’t do it much these days. My point is that she has the freedom to do “outside the box” therapies. I just doubt that the employees of the large PT businesses have the time or freedom for this.
A masseuse or chiropractor might also be trained in this.
This are just my thoughts, I have no evidence! This same PT does Watsu therapy in the pool, which is just heavenly. I wish I could do that every day!
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1 Reaction@jenniferhunter @artscaping I know you posted a link to find MFR therapists; I saved on my computer at home but can’t find the link in this thread, Could you possibly share the link again for Bonnie? Thanks
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1 ReactionI think this is the link that has been posted before for finding an MFR therapist:
http://mfrtherapists.com/
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3 ReactionsAs a retired board certified massage therapist and bodyworker, I cannot tell you how thrilling it was to read through this! All the info and comments are great. As a private practitioner I felt priviledged to help people find ease in their bodies once again.
THIS WAS SO HEARTWRMING!
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8 ReactionsHi there Paulalina......and thank you for your supportive post of MFR. I have been an MFR patient for about 8 years now with the same therapist. As my SFN (small fiber neuropathy) has progressed it is what keeps me moving and enjoying life. I now have two sessions a week with two therapists at almost every session. One takes care of my feet and hands so that I can drive my car and wash the dishes and play with the grandkids. My only pain medication is medical cannabis.
Your life story is very expansive and I applaud you for every activity you have tackled and from which you have benefited.
May you have happiness and the causes of happiness.
Chris
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2 Reactions@butterflywings and @skeleton I just found your question. The reason the John Barnes approach to fascial release is preferred is because it is gentle and slow and allows the fascia time to unwind itself and reorganize. If you stretch it too aggressively, the body resists and fights against the stretch, or it can rip and tear the fascia causing scar tissue to form and making the problem worse. The fascia is changing from a semi-solid to a liquid to be able change shape and move. If you imagine a spider building a web, then backing up, undo the work and building it in a new place, this is similar to what happens. The fascia can have scar tissue from injuries, surgery, or adhesions that are complex and need slow gentle pressure to fix. This video will demonstrate how this happens in living fascia. At about 13 minutes into the video, they start explaining how the fascia moves.
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3 ReactionsGood afternoon Debbie.......Ooops....I neglected you. So sorry; Here is the link.
Just look for Find a Therapist at
www. myofascialrelease.com.
If you have difficulty, please tell me where you live and I will ask my MFR therapist to help. Not every MFR therapist is listed on the site. Please choose an Expert level therapist for the best options.
How is everything else going with you?
May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris
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1 ReactionThanks Chris! After about a year, TODAY I have an appointment with a new Neurologist. (My PCP had encouraged me to give my original one here in NC a little more time to build a relationship, but we couldn’t seem to communicate with each other well) Anyway, the new Neurologist is in the same medical system, so I hope there’s no cross-contamination in making a switch to one of his colleagues, but I am going in with a VERY POSITIVE attitude for a fresh partnership, and I have read good patient reviews about this one.
Thanks to you and others, I have a list of questions for him, that I’m going to be sure aren’t overwhelming, but at top of the diagnostic questions is reason to or not to do SFN skin biopsy to see if I could possibly have that. Under therapeutic questions will be for MFR recommendation. From the map you sent me, there are two therapists within a quarter mile of his office. I am happy to report that my physical therapist last week is very familiar and favorable about MFR and is going to get me her recommendation as well! I am so happy with what you and others have been doing to help navigate this journey. From diagnostics, to therapies, to vitamins, to nutrition, to lotions, to mental health strategies, and to exercises, there’s no price tag on what everyone here is doing to help us achieve maximum comfort and livelihood!
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5 Reactions