Myofascial Release

Dr/ Hajar Mohammed

Lecturer at Basic Science Department
May University in Cairo (MUC)
[email protected]
 Myofascial Release (MFR)

It described by Andrew Taylor Still

and his early students, is a manual
therapy technique used to address
musculoskeletal pain, restrictions
in movement, and soft tissue
dysfunction.
Myofascial Release (MFR)

• It focuses on the fascia, a dense, connective tissue that surrounds

and supports muscles, bones, and organs. MFR therapy aims to
release fascial restrictions, reduce pain, improve range of motion,
and enhance overall well-being
• Muscle and fascia are functionally linked (myofascia), combining
the properties of contractile & non-contractile tissue. When using
this unique stretching technique, the therapist must understand
the fundamentals of Myofascial Release and its defining
characteristics
Myofascial release (MFR)

• Fascia covers all organs of the body.

• Muscle and fascia cannot be separated.
• All muscle stretching is myofascial stretching.
• Myofascial stretching in one body area will be felt and will affect that
and other body areas.
• Release of myofascial restrictions can affect other body organs through a
release of tension in the greater fascial system.
• Myofascial Release can alter body malalignment if the structures are not
fixed by bone remodeling.
• Myofascial Release is generally more comfortable than other stretching
techniques.
 Definition of Fascia

Fascia is web like sheet of connective tissue

representing a three-dimensional network that
enfolds all other soft tissue and organs, supports and
protects the body. It is found down to the cellular
level by perfectly adhering to them like a velcro so
it is the most pervasive tissue in the body from head
to toe. No tissue exists in isolation; all act on, and
are bound and interwoven with, other structures.
Fascia
Definition of Fascia

Generally the fascia doesn’t play any

role in the movement of joints except
the fascia lata of the outer thigh; this
fascia has its own muscle, the tensor
fascia lata
Elements of Fascia

The three main elements of fascia are

1- Collagen
2- Elastin
3- Ground Substance
Collagen

It is the most abundant protein in the

body. It provides strength and stability
when mechanical stress is applied, to
guard against overextension.
Elastin

It is another type of protein rubber like, it provides

an elastic quality that allows the connective tissue
to stretch to the limit of the collagen fibers’
length whilst absorbing tensile force.
Both collagen and elastin are the main fibers
within fascia, and together they exist within a
viscous, gel-like fluid called ground substance.
Ground Substance

• It fills the spaces between the collagen and elastin fibers which is
a viscous, gel-like ground substance (a polysaccharide gel
complex) composed of hyaluronic acid and proteoglycans that
lubricate the fibers and allow them to glide over each other with
minimal friction.
• The ground substance is the immediate environment for all the
cells in the body. The gel absorbs shock and disperses it
throughout the body. Fascia’s ground substance provides the
medium in which other elements are exchanged (gases, nutrients,
hormones, cellular waste, antibodies, and white blood cells).
Cells

Fibroblasts are specialized cells within fascia

responsible for synthesizing and maintaining
the extracellular matrix, including collagen
and elastic fibers. Fibroblasts play a critical
role in tissue repair and remodeling
Nerve endings

Fascia contains sensory nerve endings that

provide information about mechanical forces,
pressure, and tension within the tissue.
These nerve endings contribute to
proprioception (the body's awareness of its
position in space) and pain perception.
Blood and lymphatic vessels

While fascia is relatively avascular (with

fewer blood vessels compared to muscles, for
example), it does contain small blood vessels
and lymphatic vessels. These vessels supply
nutrients, remove waste products, and
support tissue healing and immune function.
Adipose tissue

In some areas of the body, fascia contains

adipose tissue (fat cells), which adds
cushioning and insulation. The amount of
adipose tissue within fascia can vary
depending on the region.
Types of fascia

1- The Superficial fascia: related to the

function of the skin, and it’s located directly
under the skin.
2- The deep fascia: refers to the tissue of the
bones, nerves, blood vessels and muscle tissue.
3- Visceral Fascia: is the tissue protecting and
supporting the body’s vital organs.
The Superficial fascia

It is a macroscopically well-organized membranous

fibroelastic tissue that is, with the exception of
the face, the soles of the feet and the palms of
the hands. Microscopically, its structure has been
like a tightly packed honeycomb. Superficial fascia
is blending with the subcutaneous layer of the
dermis.
The deep fascia

It is a membrane that formed of dense collagen fibers intermixed

with elastin fibers and extends throughout the whole body. It
interpenetrates and surrounds the muscles, bones, nerves and blood
vessels of the body.
The deep fasciae envelop
• Bone (periosteum and endosteum)
• Cartilage (perichondrium)
• Muscle (epimysium, perimysium, and endomysium)
• Nerves (epineurium, perineurium, and endoneurium).
Periosteum and Endosteum
Perichondrium
Epimysium, Perimysium, and Endomysium
Epineurium, Perineurium, and Endoneurium
Visceral Fascia (Subserous fascia)

It represents the deepest layer of fascia, intimately surrounding and

lubricating the internal viscera. Visceral Fascia suspends the organs
within their cavities and wraps them in layers of connective tissue
membranes. Each of the organs is covered in a double layer of
fascia; these layers are separated by a thin serous membrane.
The organs have specialized names for their visceral fasciae as in
the brain, they are known as meninges, in the heart they are known
as pericardia, in the lungs, they are known as pleura & in the
abdomen, they are known as peritonea.
Visceral Fascia
Function of the Fascia

1- It provides support and protection for vessels and nerves throughout the
body.
2-It is responsible for maintaining structural integrity.
3-It is the body's first line of defense against pathogenic agents and infections.
4- It acts as a shock absorber.
5- It plays a major role in circulation of blood and lymph.
6- It provides the matrix that allows for cell-to-cell communication. This
matrix is a connective tissue ground substance, which act as viscous watery
gel for the diffusion of nutrients and waste products.
7- After injury, it is the fascia that creates an environment for tissue repair.
Fascia Restriction

Healthy fascia is relaxed, elastic (ability to stretch and

move without restriction) & wavy as spider web. Trauma
(strain or sprain), bad posture and or inflammation can
cause the fascia to knit together resulting in excessive
pressure on their contents, fascia loses its pliability
leading to tightness and restriction so fascia exerts
excessive pressure and it leads to increase pain and
decreased range of motion (ROM).
Conditions that affect fascia

• Fascial dysfunction can occur for a variety of reasons. Lack off

movement variations, sub-optimal nutrition, habitual postures
and trauma can impact on the fascia's ability to glide and slide,
which normally helps the distribution and transmission of
tension across the body.
• Compensatory patterns of movement can then occur resulting
in more stress on the fascial system. Fascial dysfunction is
associated with pain, stiffness, tissue fatigue and reduced
performance and function.
Conditions that affect fascia

Fascia can shorten, solidifies and thicken in response to:

Trauma
Anything physically or emotionally injurious to the body
Inflammation
Poor posture
Or anything that cause the body to lose its physiological
adaptive capacity
Injury or Trauma

The body can become injured from an event

such as a fall,cut or burn as well as when the
body systems become dysfunctional.
Injury also includes surgery, overuse and
underuse of the tissues as in a sporting injury.
Inflammatory Processes

The injury causes an inflammatory

response that creates an imbalance in
cellular fluids and possible cell death
from lack of oxygen resulting in scar
formation and fascial adhesions.
Bad Posture

Postural adaptations refer to how we place ourselves in

positions to perform tasks or to cope with strain or stress.
When performed long enough, these adaptations become
unconscious and we adopt them automatically, not
realizing that we may be injuring our bodies. When fascia
is consistently overloaded from supporting a position in
space (standing, seated or lying), it has to bind down to
support the pressure imposed on it. As it deforms, which
in turn creates further postural imbalance.
Bad Posture

Deformation and distortion of any part of this

network imposes negative stresses on distant
aspects. Because this imbalance occurs over
a long time, the person usually doesn’t
realize it until it is too late. Muscles are
injured at a point somewhere between their
origin and insertion. Fascia, however, has no
end point; it is completely continuous.
Bad Posture

The site of the original injury, can be the cause of

further injuries that quietly creep through the entire
fascial system.
Osseous structures are passive elements and are
influenced by the soft tissue supporting them. Fascial
restriction can crowd or pull the osseous structures
out of proper alignment, resulting in the compression
of joints and producing pain or dysfunction, or both.