How Does Myofascial Release Help To Relieve Muscle Tightness?

Have you ever suffered from a stiff neck, tightness in your shoulders, and a sore back when you try to keep yourself limber? If you regularly feel episodes of tightness, muscle knots and pain when you move, myofascial release might be able to help you.

A gentle soft tissue massage, a myofascial release session, helps to relieve stiff areas, relieving pain and improving the function of affected muscles.

Many cases of muscle stiffness and soreness are caused by a system of collagen tissues known as the fascia. These connective tissues case your body’s tissues, shaping your tendons, ligaments and nerves, as well as connecting your skin to the rest of your body.

The most famous fascia and the one that showcases what it is for best is the plantar fascia, the tissue at the bottom of your foot that stretches gently when you walk and gives you a spring in your step.

These soft tissues can become damaged, either due to overuse or underuse, and this reduces blood flow, increases tension and can cause pain in the affected area.

This can be exacerbated by the compensation you naturally make to take the restrictive movement and additional pain into account, causing further tightness and widening the level of pain.

Unlike other forms of massage, which work by breaking down knots and soft tissue in order to encourage regrowth, myofascial release works by gently putting pressure on the connective tissues, relaxing muscles that have been contracted, and improving lymphatic flow as well as blood circulation.

Typically, the focus of myofascial release is on specific trigger points, also known as knots in the muscle. By releasing tension here, they help provide relief for people with compressed nerves, repetitive strain injuries or who are recovering from other injuries.

The results can sometimes be immediate, whilst in other cases, there is a gradual relief from pain and improvement in your mobility.