To understand Myofascial Massage, let’s begin by looking at the terms. “Myo” means muscle. Pretty straight forward, we were taught about our muscles at a very early age. “Fascial” is a term that refers to the fascia, or connective tissue in our body. Finally, Massage is exactly what most people think it is, using the hands to work the muscles and tissues. So a Myofascial Massage uses the hands to address both the muscle and connective tissue.
For a long time fascia was not considered very important in our bodies. Surgeons use fascial flaps as a type of internal bandage. They cut a “flap” or a sheet of fascia from one place and use it to secure another area. No problem, fascia was just extra stuff within our bodies … or so everyone thought. Current research is providing a different picture. The research came about because over the past 60 years, several therapists proposed that the connective tissue was important stuff and developed manual therapies to address theorized problems in the fascia and the muscles. One cannot be separated from the other. Both muscles and fascia have to be treated together. Ida Rolf (1896 –1979) is probably the most famous myofascial therapist and her legacy is her namesake therapy, Rolfing. Twenty years ago, when I began my career, research was starting to heat up a bit. Now there is a Fascia Research Congress periodically to bring together the worlds researchers. However, when it all began, there was a great deal of theory and hypothesis and very little of research to back up the claims. There were no evidence based research outcomes, just results. People were feeling better and getting better with the myofascial techniques used by manual therapists around the world. To be honest, to this day I am amazed at some of the things I see, the results I witness. There is an art, a skill and intuitivness that comes with myofascial therapy that will never be able to be quantified or qualified by science. I love the research, but when all is said and done, it comes down to the client and the therapist.
Are you suffering from aches and pains within your muscles? The fascia may be the problem. My goal is to help people with issues of pain and discomfort. It is a unique experience.