How to Get a Myofascial Release Massage

If your doctor has diagnosed you with torn or strained fascia following injury or an accident, try massage to promote a quicker recovery. Because fascia tissue is woven throughout the entire body, tears or inflammation can effect your muscles, tendons, joints, nerves and organs as well. By inducing myofascial release, a massage or physical therapist can help you to break the cycle of pain, relieve bodily tension and pave the way for healing.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Licensed massage therapist or physical therapist who practices myosfascial release

Evaluate Your Health

1. Determine whether a source of ongoing pain is specific, such as a muscle strain from a slide in baseball, or ambiguous, possibly as a result of sustained poor posture.

2. Identify any mitigating health issues, such as fallen arches or one leg being shorter than the other.

3. Determine whether the chronic pain is in the joint, tendon or fascia. Joint and tendon pain tends to throb. Fascia pain can be burning or shooting and commonly occurs in the back, foot or leg.

Get the Right Myofascial Release Therapy for You

4. See a sports medicine specialist or physical therapist for specific, very painful neuromuscular conditions. He may combine myofascial release in the problem area with other techniques and exercises to help you recover and rebuild strength.

5. Visit a licensed massage practitioner who specializes in myofascial release therapy. This type of intensive treatment is good for victims of falls, whiplash or carpal tunnel syndrome.

6. Get a myofascial release from a regular massage therapist as part of a full-body massage treatment. Ask your therapist to give special attention to the fascial tissue in your back, foot or wherever you have recurrent pain.

7. Relax and breathe slowly through your mouth as the therapist works your body in deep, smooth strokes.

Tips & Warnings

• Fascia is connective tissue that enmeshes the body's bones, muscles and organs.
• Learning body awareness can keep you from having a relapse or reinjury of your fascial tissue. Undergoing myofascial release massage treatments reinforces body awareness.
• Your massage therapist can work with your physician to integrate your health care.
• You will get undressed for this treatment, but a sheet or blanket drape will conceal your body where the therapist is not working.
• Consult with your doctor before getting a myofascial release massage if you have osteoporosis, epilepsy or another condition that might be affected by deep tissue massage.
• While massage can relieve symptoms of myofascial stress, the injury cannot heal unless you address the underlying cause. See a doctor or chiropractor about muscle sprains or musculoskeletal abnormalities.

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