Fascial restrictions can manifest in the body for various reasons including surgery, physical and emotional trauma, postural imbalances, or from repetitive strain on the body from absorbing and generating forces in every day activities from sports to playing guitar.  It can also come from how your body compensates to support a focused movement over an extended time, such as typing all day.  The goal is to relieve these fascial restrictions and normalize the tensions throughout the body.

 Fascia is a thin layer of tissue that cover the structures of the body; the organs, muscles, and nervous system. It also covers the substructures with each system.  At certain levels it looks like sheets, and these glide over each other.  In its normal healthy state the fascia is relaxed and soft. It has the ability to stretch and move without restriction. Compromised,  it can become tight, restricted and a source of tension extending between different structures in the body. For example the hip and the neck, the liver and the ribs.

 Working with fascia is a valuable whole body approach to resolve challenging unresolved symptoms because it is common to all the systems of the body.  It wraps everything, nerves, organs, muscles, tendons, and bones. Chronic problems will often have a fascial component.  Resolving these restrictions allows the body to continue on it’s natural path of healing.  When symptoms are difficult to diagnose, this is an excellent modality to try.

Often the source of pain is not the source of the problem.  in session, your therapist will treat other areas of the body to support your treatment outcome.  Sessions are done fully clothed on a massage table.  The work is gentle and relaxing. You will often feel a softening and letting go of the entire area.

A Visual example of what it looks like.  Imagine a skinned piece of chicken; fascia is the white film that still holds it together.   Now lets apply an unexpected force.  Think of a perfectly flat sheet lying on the bed, and with a sudden jerk at a corner notice how far the effect can travel from the source of impact.  This is what happens when a force impacts the body.  It is going to travel and may create a line of tension in the fascia between the place of impact and the noticeable spasm you are feeling.  When pulls and strains occur it is not always painful.  It is a restriction we may or may not notice.  Pain tends to become a factor when secondary strains and pulls occur after repeated injury or overuse.   Finding and releasing all the relationships become the challenge for complete healing. This is my area of expertise.

When other types of therapy fail to resolve long term recurring patterns of discomfort, myofascial work may be the solution for you. 

Pain management is a medical solution that requires people to look for alternative solutions. What do you have to loose.