If you have ongoing muscle pain, and especially if you have a muscle or knot that’s tender when touched, it may be time to consider myofascial release. Dr. Bruce Blakely, DC, and the team at Blakely Chiropractic in Mission Valley, specialize in the hands-on technique called myofascial release therapy. Using myofascial release, they effectively eliminate restrictions and restore free movement. To schedule an appointment for a complete evaluation, call the office!
What causes myofascial pain?
A sheath of thin connective tissue called the fascia lines the inside of your abdominal cavity and covers your muscles and organs. The term myofascial refers to problems that affect the fascia surrounding your muscles.
Myofascial pain occurs when your muscles, and subsequently, the fascia are damaged due to repetitive movement, stress-related tension, or an injury. Weak muscles and poor posture can also lead to myofascial pain.
If you have myofascial pain, you may experience:
Pain when pressing the muscle
Pain from being in a certain position
Pain that occurs during certain movements
The affected muscles may also contract, forming a painful knot or lump called a myofascial trigger point.
When might I need myofascial release therapy?
In addition to relieving myofascial pain, you may need myofascial release therapy when you:
Lose flexibility or function after an injury
Experience chronic back, shoulder, hip, or neck pain
Develop temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder
Develop carpal tunnel syndrome
Suffer from the ongoing pain of fibromyalgia
Need relief from migraine headaches
Have stiffness and pain following a sports injury
Have muscle imbalances due to sports training
You may benefit from myofascial release any time it feels like tight muscles or fascia limit your movement.
What is myofascial release?
Myofascial release therapy frees the soft tissues causing tightness, pain, and loss of mobility. Your provider relieves these problems by focusing on the fascia. After identifying areas of the fascia that are injured, inflamed, tight, and causing restrictions, your provider uses gentle, hands-on techniques to free the fascia, allowing the fascia and muscles to move freely.
Myofascial release typically requires more than one treatment to achieve optimal results. You may go in daily for a few days or weeks, depending on the severity of the restriction.
Do other integrative therapies support myofascial release?
Your provider may recommend other treatments to complement your myofascial release therapy and accelerate your recovery. For example, you may benefit from:
Chiropractic manipulation
Physical therapy
Cold laser therapy
Acupuncture
Gua sha
Massage therapy
Ultrasound therapy
If you suffer from ongoing pain or loss of mobility, the team at Blakely Chiropractic can help with myofascial release and a range of integrative treatments. Call the office or request an appointment online today!