Myofascial Therapy

Myofascial Therapy is a deep tissue massage that focuses on the fascia rather than individual muscles. It has a different feel to it, often being very soothing, and can produce good results. Chronic pain patterns are often held in the fascia and this treatment can reduce or remove pain that has proved resistant to other treatments.

The fascia is the connective tissue sheeting which surrounds all the muscles, organs and whole body (underneath the skin) as a continuous membrane. It was once considered to be little more than a glue but is now an area of active scientific research. For the past three years there has been an international fascia conference where new research is presented.

The importance that tension in the fascia plays in body structure is now recognised and many people use this therapy to improve their posture. As restrictions in the fascia are removed over a course of treatments the body returns to its optimal position. And with good posture joints and muscles work better and life is so much easier!

Myofascial therapy also includes a joint mobilisation – arthrokinetics. This was first developed for patients with arthritis but a more vigorous form is used on healthy joints. It uses a series of sudden compressive forces which help to make the joint capsule more pliable. Therefore the joint works better.

In a treatment you will be encouraged to self assess your structure (posture) before, during and after the treatment. This will allow you to correct posture in the days and weeks following treatment and maintain improvement.

Myofascial therapy is big in America and is now gaining popularity in Britain. Mary Gunn of Holy Island Holistics was very pleased to be in the first cohort trained in this country by George Kousaleos, founder of The Core Institute in Florida and internationally renowned in this area. Mary says “I find this so effective that I now use some aspects of myofascial therapy in all my massages, particularly remedial and sports massage, as well as using it as a stand alone therapy.”