Massage therapists can help with a technique called Myofascial Release that uses sustained pressure to loosen and lengthen constricted fascia. Cupping therapy is another technique that stretches and lengthen fascia with the use of vacuum cups.
Myofascial Release is a specialized type of massage therapy that can help to free up stiff fascia and reduce tension or restriction. In this type of massage, therapists feel and stretch slowly down into the tissues, all the time feeling for a glue-like texture which means there's a 'sticky' fascia.
Gentle exercise, stretching, and staying well hydrated can help keep your fascia healthy, and many people find relief using self-massage, tennis balls, and foam rollers. However, sometimes it's a good idea to get some help from the pro's.
Some techniques can feel temporarily uncomfortable as the fascia is released and separated. It can feel burny, itchy, stingy and prickly. However these sensations pass quickly and the benefits can be felt as soon as the area is released.
During these times of trauma or injury, our fascia system stores a “holographic” image of our body's position, complete with all the fear, anger, sadness, etc.
Most injury to fascia heals within a six to eight week period.
Lack of blood supply to the muscle causes lactic acid to build up, over time this can solidify with calcium deposits and is often the reason we hear a crunching sound when trying to realise the knots.
When the fascia – or connective tissues in your body – get restricted, it leads to exhaustion, inflammation, chronic pain, and improper functioning of the immune system. But what many people don't realize is that fascia restriction can happen in response to emotional trauma as well as physical injury or illness.
Myofascial Release brings about an increase of hydration of the ground substance, the collagen fibres and the whole of the fascial system. It increases the distance between the collagen fibres, and restores elasticity, allowing for further hydration and a decrease in compression around other structures.
A massage gun is a handheld device that provides percussive massage for your muscles. It vibrates to help blood, oxygen and nutrients flow into the muscles, which can promote healing and faster recovery after a workout. Massage guns can also break up the tissue around the muscles (muscle fascia).
Vibration plate machines help activate muscles by increasing blood flow and promoting the release of the fascia. Fascia is the casing of all the connective tissue throughout the body.
When the fascia is tight, pressure or tension in one area often results in sensations that do not fall in line with the muscles. Clients are often amazed when they feel this in their bodies.
When the hyaluronan dries up, your body fascia can seize up around muscles, make it harder to move, or get uncomfortable knots. Dried-out fascia — called fascia adhesions — can happen because of: A lifestyle without enough physical activity. Activity that uses the same part of your body over and over.
With self-myofascial release, you achieve the benefits by using a foam roller or a particular massage ball to treat yourself. As we mentioned, it's usually not as effective as working with a trained therapist. But it is beneficial and can be used to help maintain muscle and tissue flexibility.
Emotional information is stored through “packages” in our organs, tissues, skin, and muscles. These “packages” allow the emotional information to stay in our body parts until we can “release” it. Negative emotions in particular have a long-lasting effect on the body.
Fascia-Related Muscle Pain and Stiffness
Repetitive movement that overworks one part of the body.
Somatic massages help you release trauma in your body by working with the nervous system. When you receive a somatic massage, the therapist will work to release any patterns of tension that may be stored in your body. This can help to break down any barriers that have been preventing you from processing trauma.
This popping or crunching feeling is breaking down what has built up, the body is then more able to flush out these toxins. Some clients may wince at this feeling others describe it as a 'good pain' and it instantly feels better once this has been done.
It is fairly common for people to have more clicking and popping after a massage. This isn't a sign anything is wrong! Before the massage there was stiffness so the joint was hardly moved. After the massage the joint moved much more freely so the muscles and tendons are more likely to rub hence a clicking sound.
That's because massage can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, your “rest and digest” response. The parasympathetic system conserves energy as it slows the heart rate and increases intestinal and gland activity.
Foam rollers may help stretch and loosen restricted fascia so the muscles and joints under them can move freely without pain. However, you need to use a foam roller the right way for it to be effective.
Traditionally, the wound healing process has been divided into four distinct but overlapping stages, namely hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling [39].