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Address: 53 Dress Circle Rd Avalon NSW 2107
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Myofascial Release

Fascia is very densely woven, covering and interpenetrating every muscle, bone, nerve, artery and vein as well as all of our internal organs including the heart, lungs, brain and spinal cord. The most interesting aspect of the fascial system is that it is not just a system of separate coverings. It is actually one structure that exists from head to foot without interruption. In this way you can begin to see that each part of the entire body is connected to every other part by the fascia, like the yarn in a sweater.


Fascia

Fascia also plays an important role in the support of our bodies, since it surrounds and attaches to all structures. These structures would not be able to provide the stability without the constant pull of the fascial system. In fact, our bones can be thought of as tent poles, which cannot support the structure without the constant support of the guide wires (or fascia) to keep an adequate amount of tension to allow the tent (or body) to remain upright with proper equilibrium.

In the normal healthy state, the fascia is relaxed and wavy in configuration. It has the ability to stretch and move without restriction. When we experience physical trauma, scarring, or inflammation, however, the fascia loses its pliability. It becomes tight, restricted and a source of tension to the rest of the body. Trauma, such as a fall, whiplash, surgery or just habitual poor posture over time and repetitive stress injuries has a cumulative effects. The changes they cause in the fascial system influence comfort and the functioning of our body. The fascia can exert excessive pressure producing pain or restriction of motion. They affect our flexibility and stability, and are a determining factor in our ability to withstand stress and strain.

Myofascial Release is a very effective hands-on technique that provides sustained pressure into myofascial restrictions to eliminate pain and restore motion. It is a highly specialized stretching technique used by physical therapists to treat patients with a variety of soft tissue problems and structural problems. Myofascial Release is stretching of the fascia by techniques that are similar to massage but slower and using a very small amount of oil so you can grip the skin and muslces.

Anatomy Trains

Anatomy Trains Myofascial Meridians is a unique new map of the fascial connections through the muscles that leads to new understanding of the connectivity in the body, and directly to new therapeutic strategies, especially for long-standing compensatory patterns in client stance and movement.


Superficial Back line	Superficial front line

More about Fascia

Fascia, in its non-stretchy form, is the substance that makes up tendons, which attach muscle to bone, and ligaments, which attach bone to bone.

Muscles are composed of muscle fibers that are each wrapped in a thin, tight sheath of connective tissue known as fascia. Bundles of muscle fibers are then over wrapped with a slightly thicker layer of fascia, then bundles of bundles are similarly wrapped with fascia and then the total muscle is wrapped again with another layer of fascia. As the muscle nears its end at a bone, the size and number of muscle fibers significantly decreases, narrowing the circumference of the muscle, but the fascia that has been wrapping those muscle fibers continues, becoming the tendon that attaches the muscle to bone.

Fascia is like a big cobweb that runs throughout your entire body. The interconnected nature of fascia means that everything in the body is connected to everything else. When one part of fascia is injured or compromised in any way, it can affect tissues that are far from the original site of the injury or impairment. In the case of repetitive strain injuries, this means that tissue changes in the shoulder which are the result of an old injury can, over time, affect the condition and function of fascia farther down the arm and into the hand. This often leads to the confusing, seemingly unrelated symptoms that are often present in any case of RSI. Symptoms may be felt in one area, but the source of the strain could be located somewhere else.

When poor posture habits cause fascial changes in the neighborhood around a nerve, then the normally loose, suspending fascia that protects that nerve becomes tighter. The nerve, inside its casing of tight fascia, can then become stuck to nearby muscle, bone, blood vessels, or even skin. Every time muscles in the area contract, the tight casing of fascia around the nerve gets tugged and the nerve becomes more and more irritated until an injury is felt, causing tingling, numbness, zinging sensations, and sometimes burning or weakness.

In the case of repetitive strain injuries that have muscle-based symptoms (weakness, pain, pressure, drawing sensations, congestion, etc.), the fascia surrounding and permeating through muscle becomes tight and restricted. This can prevent the muscle from accomplishing the work it is designed to do by inhibiting the full contraction and release of the tight muscle. This forces neighboring muscles to pick up the slack, helping the restricted muscle do its job. The problem is, the helper muscles aren’t designed to contract and release in exactly the same direction as the restricted muscle, so helping causes more strain in the helper muscle. Now you have two muscles that are restricted and strained and the process of more adhesion and more restriction continues.

Fascia creates a wrapping around the entire muscle, much like a sausage casing. This part of the fascia can also become adhered and will cause one muscle to stick to its neighbor. When one muscle contracts, it must drag along the muscle that is stuck to it, causing strain. Fascia tightens in the area to help protect the strained muscles, and more adhesions develop as a result.