The John F. Barnes Myofascial Release Approach
Fascia (pronounced fa-sha) is a word that you have probably heard more and more of recently. Whether at the gym, your doctor or therapist's office, in the news, or in innumerable magazine and internet articles, it has become a very popular topic. If you've been a client of Mind Body Soul Wellness Center, you've heard it A LOT. But what is fascia and why is it so important?
Fascia is the connective tissue system of our body. What does this mean? It means that the fascia connects everything to everything else. And when we say everything, we mean it. Fascia is the environment and connection of every single cell of your body. There is nowhere that fascia isn't and nothing that exists outside of it. It is not dramatic to say that fascia is the literal "web of life."
Fascia is a single piece of tissue - from your head to your feet and out through to your fingers - imagine a giant spider web inside of you. It provides support, structure, flexibility, and communication in your body. It is what allows us to walk, run, jump, and dance without falling apart like a pile of bricks.
Picture an orange. When you remove the skin, you see the pith (white fibrous material), which is similar to the fascia under your skin. You can also see the smaller separations into quarters, slices and beyond of the same pith, keeping the orange and orange juice completely contained and whole. This is similar to the fascia interpenetrating all the structures of our body: our organs, muscles, bones, nerves, blood vessels, and creating the environment of every single cell. Similarly, the fascia is fluid in nature, holding the majority of the water within us.
When you experience trauma - be it physical, mental, or emotional - scarring, inflammation, or surgeries, the fascia loses its fluidity and pliability. It begins to solidify, becoming tight, restricted, and a source of tension to the rest of the body. Imagine pouring glue into the spaces within you. Trauma - such as falls, car accidents, whiplash, surgery - as well as our habitual postures, repetitive tasks, and daily stresses have a cumulative effect on the body, affecting our comfort, function, and enjoyment of life.
Fascial restrictions can create crushing pressures on the various structures and systems of our body causing many of the symptoms that plague us including pain, headaches, balance, and limited mobility.
Thankfully, there is something you can do about it.
Myofascial Release (or MFR), as taught by John Barnes, is a safe and incredibly effective hands-on technique that involves applying gentle and sustained pressure into fascial restrictions to eliminate pain and restore motion. This essential time element, sustaining the pressure and stretch into the restrictions, is the most important element that separates Barnes Myofascial Release from all other approaches and creates the long-lasting pain relief and improved mobility that you have been searching for.
A calm, centered, and skilled therapist can assess areas of fascial restriction throughout the body and utilize various MFR techniques to help soften, or release, these solidified, tight regions. Utilizing the gentle pressures described above, these areas of restriction can soften (release) and the tissues return to their natural, fluid state. With the excessive, crushing pressure removed, the body's own self-correcting and self-healing abilities can once again move forward.
Pain Free IS Possible!
Myofascial Release Has Been Shown To Be Helpful With:
