05/02/2020
What is MFR or myofascial release? How does the John Barnes method differ from other forms of MFR, like Rolfing?
The myofascial tissue is the connective tissue that attaches to every cell in your body. It is made up of intertubules that carry fluid throughout the body. Instead of stretching, it glides as it elongates.Just about every trauma we have received in our life time has had an effect on the tissue creating adhesions and or scar tissue. If this is not corrected it can put a strain on the whole body. Over time just like a snag in a knitted sweater will pull on the entire sweater or, I like to use plastic wrap as an example, you can't twist it without affecting the whole piece. The fascia defines your posture.
So, how do you get it to release? Old school would be to force the tissue back into place. The problem with that is it's strong! Up to 2 thousand pounds per square inch, not to mention the trauma caused by forcing the tissue. It can be done and if you have ever had rolfing, you know how painful that can be.
John Barnes discovered 40 years ago that all that was needed was patience. With the right amount of sustained compression or traction, at least 5 minutes, the body begins to release on it's own. If you remember the toy Stretch Armstrong, it reminds me a bit of that. The tissue melts under your hands. The nice part is you can't overstretch the fascia. This work never forces the tissue. Some pain can be involved but most describe it as a good pain and you the client are always in charge of the pressure and can ask to stop or ease up at any time.
Of course this is the simplified version but with a qualified therapist you could leave knowing how to do releases on you own at home with very little equipment.
I feel a big part of my work is education. There is so much information and I'm always learning. There are 3 important components to this work structural, rebounding, and unwinding. I will try to break it down for you for each component in my next set of posts.
