What is Myofascial Release?

Myofascial Release is a term used for specific types of soft tissue work.  This type of work can come from Massage Therapists, Chiropractors, Physical Therapists, and of course, yourself!

Typically when we talk about myofascial release, we are working not only the muscles within the body, but the Fascia which is the connective tissue the holds and supports all cells within the body.  After years of study/research, we now know that fascia has some elastic properties (ability to stretch) as well as the ability to contract.  This makes it very similar to the muscles but yet fascia is different in that it like a bag that literally wraps and encompasses every cell in the body.

Myofascial release can be done in many different ways.  This includes compression of the muscle, traction of the muscle, pin and stretch techniques (similar to Active Release Technique), Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (Graston Technique) and much more.

There are many forms of muscle work and ways to help muscles heal but these are some of the most common.

Why Use Myofascial Release?

Doing muscle work to the body has one key feature… to allow the body to heal faster!

By doing myofascial release you are loosening up muscles, reducing scar tissue, improving blood flow, and restoring better joint mechanics to the body.  Any time you can allow the body to heal faster and in a better alignment, you will not only feel better, but perform better.

After seeing thousands of patients in my clinic, I know that when people feel and perform better, they in turn are happier and more productive.

How to Perform Self Myofascial Release?

Lets face it, we all get hurt so its not if but when we need some help!  As a result, its a great idea to learn some self myofascial techniques that allow you to get some pain relief.  Below we list a few techniques of the most popular techniques that you can do to learn.

1. Compression Techniques – simply stated all you need to do is compress the muscle underneath some sort of surface.  This technique can be done by yourself or with a friend.  Have you ever had someone push on your back with their thumbs or elbows?  Well, if so then this is one way you can perform this.  When doing this technique you can find a tender spot and hold that area for about 5-30 seconds depending on the intensity.
2. Foam Rolling – This is another type of compressive technique that allows you to sit, roll, lay and move on a roller.  You can move in many different fashions with this technique.  For example, you can literally just find a tender spot and sit there on it or you can roll it out in different areas.  Kind of like a rolling pin.  There are several types of rollers out on the market, some that are softer, some with knobs, and some with harder surfaces.  If you are new then the softer ones is always my first go to.
3. Ball Rolling – Using a tennis ball, rubber ball, myofascial release ball or lacrosse ball you can really be a lot more focal and localized.  Since these surfaces are a much smaller, then tend to pack a bit more punch in terms of intensity so make sure you are aware of that.  If you are a beginner you should really consider a hollow ball at first and something less firm.  Again, the benefits of using a smaller ball is that you can likely get into harder to reach areas and get deeper into the muscle but they are a bit more painful at times.

How To Make Myofascial Release More Effective?

We don’t have time to roll out all day so making it effective is important.  If you get used to this technique the best way you can maximize your efforts is with movement of that joint.

Our body is designed to move and move often.  When you are compressing the joint, you can add different angles (up, down, left, right, diagonal) and try your best to move the area you are compressing into a full range of motion.  Adding movement is shown to promote better healing.

Other Tips to Make You Heal and Feel Better?

There are ways to do things properly and incorrectly so follow these techniques to make it more comfortable and reduce the risk of injury.

1. When you are compressing the area make sure you are on the muscle NOT the bone! Too many people compress close to the bone or tendon!  Remember, muscles are the ones that move and elongate the best.  Compressing the bone will hurt a lot.
2. Nerves – Sometimes we get sharp pain but that is because we are possibly compressing nerves.  If it feels warm, burning, shooting, stabbing pain it can likely be a nerve.  These nerves do not like compression and you should avoid it at all costs.
3. Timing – I recommend anywhere between 5-30 seconds per spot.  These tender spots can be placed on a repeat cycle but I recommend you do not go more than 2-3 times.
4. Referral – Referral pain can happen when you push on a knot or spot that refers to another area of the body.  One common area is the upper trap.  When you push here a lot of people often feel headaches.  This is normal but with all compression it can be very very weird at first.
5. Take your time – This activity should not be rushed and you should remain conscious the whole time.  Do not fall asleep on a roller or ball!  Yes, I have heard about people doing this and its not a good idea.  Have fun, take your time and be aware of your body and learn to add more pressure or ease up if you need to.

Looking for a Soft Tissue (myofascial release) Expert?

If you are looking to get some work done by a professional please contact us or Schedule Now!  We are located in San Diego, CA and are in the neighborhood of Pacific Beach.  We use myofascial release to help everything from joint alignment, headaches, nerve pain, sprains/strains, and much more!

How To Release The Triceps & Shoulder?

Releasing the tricep and shoulder (especially the tricep) is often an overlooked muscle when it comes to pain & function but releasing it typically free up nerve entrapments, shoulder pain, and elbow pain.

Why The Triceps?

The tricep has three muscle bellies and as we said before it can help with shoulder and elbow pain.  The tricep muscle has attaches all the way from the bottom of the shoulder and past the elbow.  In many cases, you can have an impingement of the axillary nerve that can get caught up at the posterior shoulder.  This is an interesting area because you have part of the rotator cuff and here and the tricep muscle that runs down.  In addition, the Radial nerve runs behind the arm and then runs down right next to the tricep.

So if you are having nerve entrapments in the back of the shoulder or even the arm, you can likely get some relief of pain by freeing up this muscle and allowing the nerve to slide and glide better.

What is the relation of the Triceps muscle & Elbow Pain?

The major extensor of the elbow is the triceps muscle and I often see this muscle (as well as the Anconeus mm) involved in pain that is directly behind the elbow.  Often times you will see this in active individuals who do powerful extension movements like tennis but this can be seen in a lot of people who lift (bench press/ push press).  Of course, this can occur in other movements but these are very common.

Typically, these people will get very localized pain at the back of the elbow so learning to roll out the tricep at the muscle belly is important.  In these cases, it may be necessary to treat the tricep tendon (but make sure you do not compress too hard on the tendon as it will be painful) and a bit past the elbow into other surrounding muscles.

Summary

The tricep muscle is often neglected in many injuries, rehabilitation, and even treatment by therapists.  Using myofascial release techniques via a foam roller, tennis ball, lacrosse ball, etc is a great way to mobilize that area so that you can create a better movement pattern for the shoulder, & the associated nerves, tendon to move properly.

If you are ever doing self myofascal release or any body work and you have increased pain or discomfort, it is always advised to stop, lighten the pressure, re-consider the movement, or seek professional help.

This muscle group is a great method to healing a lot of shoulder, nerve, and elbow pain so make sure you give it a try.