Myofascial Release (MFR) 

In order to understand the intention of Myofascial Release one must have a good visual and understanding of Fascia. The simplest description is to say that fascia is the “home” for everything in your body. This living system integrates everything in the body yet it is ignored by most modalities. As we experience our lives with the many forms of physical and emotional stressors and traumas the fascia can become restricted in an effort to protect, developing holding patterns much like a straight jacket. This causes a pull throughout the body causing pain, altered posture, excessive joint compression, decreased range of motion, decreased muscle efficiency and many symptoms all of us struggle with daily.

These holding patterns put pressure on pain sensitive structures, pulling the body out of balance. In turn, the body enters a cycle of compensation. The Myofascial Release technique involves mindful attention to the entire mind body web. By engaging at the barrier of restriction and encouraging a stretch/shear for 3-5 min, this allows the time necessary for the fascial web to not just “relax” but to change on a cellular level. This patient approach allows the mucopolysaccharide gel of the fascial web to melt and change and to elongate back to its pre-shortened length, effectively releasing that “straight jacket”.

Myofascial Release is a structural approach that treats the CAUSE of the problem and not just the symptoms and this is what produces long lasting results.

Craniosacral Therapy

Craniosacral Therapy is a vital part of the healing process and holds an important role in the MFR approach.

The cranio-sacral system consists of the skull, spine and sacrum and all of it’s contents including the Central Nervous System (the brain and spinal cord), cerebrospinal fluid, the covering of the brain (dura mater) and spinal cord (dural tube).

Craniosacral therapy is a very gentle and deeply intuitive technique that addresses a rhythmic system at the core of our physiology. This rhythmic system is the pulse of energy that flows between our head and pelvic area called the cranial sacral rhythm which is as essential, measurable, and tangible as our breath and heart rate. Restrictions in the craniosacral system act much like kinks in a hose which affects the way our central nervous system functions causing pain and disfunction throughout our bodies.

With this technique the practitioner works primarily with the bones of the skull and the pelvis. By quietly resting the hands on your skull and sacrum, the therapist evaluates your craniosacral rhythms. As the therapist’s hands become aware of places along the spinal column where energy is stuck they use the bones of the sacrum and cranium as “handles” to manipulate the deeper layers of fluid and membranes in the spinal canal, the brain, and the spinal cord itself . This can restore mobility of this system by re-estabilishing an unobstructed wave allowing symptoms to disappear.

Egoscue ( Postural Therapy)

Founded by Pete Egoscue this postural therapy marries beautifully with the Myofascial Release approach.  When our bodies are pulled out of balance our muscles can not “fire”/activate” the way they were intended.  Some muscles work harder than others as a cycle of compensation occurs.  As we help give your body permission to let go of holding patterns on a cellular level through MFR we can also introduce this very effective therapy into our sessions to help remind the muscles how to function again they way they were designed to.   We will create a sequence of gentle exercises (called “E-cises”) and stretches specifically designed for you to help your body remember and maintain functional "correct" posture.