Authentic Pain Relief—
Self-Help Myofascial Stretching
Mary Loveless
January – February 2025 • Vol 4, No 14
It takes 90 to 120 seconds of prolonged stretching or pressure to get past the collagen and elasticity in our fascial soft tissue. Once you are there long enough, then the myofascial releases, reorganizes and lengthens into the direction of need. Fascia is like a continuous spider web throughout the body.
Around every filament of muscle and muscle bundles, it assists soft tissue and muscle to glide during lengthening and contracting movements. Its strength is 2,000 pounds per square inch of pressure. Fascia holds us together and does it well.
After an injury or trauma, the body quickly starts to repair the area. That’s a good thing, but sometimes, the injured area gets stuck in a chronic state of repair. I visualize it like too much duct tape applied, and now the area is constrained by what is often called “scar tissue.” The fascia becomes denser and “restricted,” which limits movement or causes pain due to the increased density and strength of the fascia in that area. It can put increased pressure on nerves and can decrease circulation to the area, which in turn, can cause a lot of pain, numbness and tingling.
This also applies to joints. The increased compression of fascia on an injured joint forces the surfaces together and causes abnormal friction. The surfaces then start to break down, which increases inflammation and, in turn, can cause arthritis. A symptom of an imbalance of muscle and soft tissue is called a “Myofascial Restriction.”
This is where a Myofascial Release Therapist is helpful. They can assist in identifying the imbalance and the root problem. In addition to addressing the restrictions with you in MFR sessions, they can set you up with a home self-help program.
There are two self-help programs I like to use. One is called Myofascial Stretching, A Guide to Self-Treatment, by Jill Stedronsky, MS, OTR and Brenda Pardy, OTR. For my more active and younger clientele, I like to recommend Comprehensive Myofascial Self-Treatment by Joyce Karnis Patterson, PT. Both are easy-to-follow manuals with excel-lent pictures and instructions.
Mary Loveless, LMT, PDA, C.Ped, is a practitioner of the John F. Barnes Approach to Myofascial Release. To find an MFR therapist near you, visit: MyofascialRelease.com. Visit their offices in Great Falls or Florence, MT.
Great Falls, MT • Back in Motion • 612 1st Avenue South • (406) 750-2655
Florence, MT • Eastside Physical Therapy & Body Restoration • 5501 Hwy 93 N • (406) 777-2679