Did you know that fascia is one of the most critical aspects of the body to help reduce pain? Fascia is a thin layer of connective tissue that wraps around muscles, organs, and nerves. When the fascia is tight or inflamed, it can cause pain in many body areas. Today, we will discuss the importance of fascia and how myofascial release can help reduce pain in older adults.
What is Myofascial Release?
‘Myo’ means muscle, and ‘fascial’ refers to your fascia. Myofascial release is a technique in which you’re specifically working with your deep fascia that wraps around muscles, muscles fiber bundles, and the individual muscle fibers themselves.
Examples of techniques used to achieve myofascial release are myofascial balls, foam rollers, massage, and active release therapy.
Essentially, it’s a manual technique that applies very gentle pressure to the fascia to help reduce areas of stiffness and pain. In a healthy body, the fascia is very pliable and elastic; therefore, the goal of myofascial release is to return the body to that state.
How Does Myofascial Release Help Reduce Pain?
Myofascial release helps reduce tissue stiffness and helps improve your tissue's ability to 'bounce back' after they've been moved out of its resting shape.
There is also a rich presence of thin blood vessels in your fascia, which can cause reduced blood flow if the fascia is too tight. Through myofascial release, the barriers (knots) and hills (tension) can be removed, allowing for increased blood flow. This is hugely beneficial because sore/painful areas require adequate blood flow to heal.
Myofascial release also improves hydration which lubricates the muscles and allows them to 'slide and glide' with less pain. Every time the manual pressure is applied, fluid disperses, but as soon as that manual pressure is released, more fluid comes back (think of a sponge soaking up water).
It's important to note that myofascial release can significantly improve the range of motion. However, it results from the benefits mentioned above, not a lengthening of the fascia or the muscles themselves. We also see the range of motion improvements due to the positive effect myofascial release has on the central nervous system. A Golgi Tendon Organ within fascial tissue can sense when manual pressure is applied. It sends a signal to the Central Nervous System (your brain), which communicates to the muscle to relax more, ultimately helping your muscles and body relax.
How Can you Begin Myofascial Release at Home?
Try this video of Fascial Face Massage!
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