Myofascial Release Technique

What Is Myofascial Release

Myofascial Release is the state-of-the-art, soft tissue management system that treats problems that occur and is most effective for release from myofascial pain, trigger points and muscular problems due to physical injuries and emotional and stress-related trauma that occur with:   

  These conditions all have one important thing in common - they often result from injury to overused muscles.

How do overuse injuries occur? 

Overused muscles (and other traumatized soft tissues) can cause changes to your body in three important ways: 

1) Cause acute injuries (pulls, tears,

    collisions, etc.).
 

2) Accumulate small tears (micro-trauma).  

3) Reduce oxygen flow to cells (hypoxia).  

Each of these changes causes your body to produce tough, dense scar tissue in the affected area. This scar tissue binds up and ties down tissues that need to move freely. As scar tissue builds up: 

Ø      Muscles become shorter and
  weaker.  

Ø      Tension on tendons causes
  tendonitis.

Ø      Nerves can become trapped. 

This can result in reduced ranges of motion, loss of strength, and pain. With trapped nerves, you may also feel tingling, numbness, shooting pains, burning sensations, weakness, muscle atrophy and circulatory changes. 

What happens during an Myofascial Release treatment? 

Every Myofascial Release session is actually a combination of examination and treatment.  

Dr. Hardy uses his hands to evaluate the texture, tension, movement and function of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements. 

These treatment protocols – over 500 of them – which are unique to Myofascial Release Technique.  

They allow Dr. Hardy to identify and correct the specific problems that are affecting each individual patient.  

Myofascial Release is not a cookie-cutter approach. 

Treatments take about 10-30 minutes for each area being treated. A condition may require two to ten visits before full functionality is restored.  

Acupuncture and/or Manipulation if requested is frequently carried out in conjunction with the Myofascial Release Technique to increase treatment effectiveness. 

Whenever possible we have our patients perform active movements during the treatment process. Active motions stimulate neurological pathways in the spinal cord that help to reduce pain during treatment.  

Motion also help to reproduce the stresses the patient will actually be under during normal active motion. 

Ensuring you get the right touch! 

Strength, speed and endurance are expected to improve within the first few treatments. We will often have our patients test these factors after two or three visits. If no improvement is seen, we know that either we have not found the source of the problem,or the area affected needs to be strengthened further. 

Myofascial Release is non-invasive, very safe, has virtually no side effects, and has a record of producing very good results. When a soft tissue problem has resolved the symptoms will not return unless the injury happens again.  

To avoid future injuries we instruct our patients in specific exercises, give postural recommendations and explain to our patients the mechanism of injury so that it may be avoided in the future. 

How does a Myofascial Release treatment feel? 

Treatments can feel uncomfortable during the movement phases as the scar tissue or adhesions "break-up".  

This discomfort is temporary and subsides almost immediately after the treatment.  

It is common to feel a duplication of your pain symptoms during the treatment (a good indication that the problem has been identified).

Patients report that "It hurts good".