Updated on Jan. 22, 2025

What is Myofascial Release (MFR)

Myofascial release (MFR) therapy is a massage technique which releases tension in the fascia. Accumulated unresolved fascial tension can develop into myofascial pain. The myofascial release technique is the manipulation of soft tissue with a sustained and an appropriate amount of pressure applied horizontally the along the direction of the fascia to stretch and to lengthen the fascia, and therefore breaking down the fascial adhesion and trigger points. The therapist who performs the myofascial release technique, MFR, will tap into one’s highly sensitive palpation skills, with intention and deliberately releasing the fascial adhesion.

Here is a little explanation of what is fascia:

What is fascia?

Fascia is a flexible/elastic tissue which permeates throughout our entire body. Unlike bones which are rigid, the network of fascia provides structure and shape to our body while being flexible, bendable which allows us the freedom to move freely. Increasingly, there are more research studies on fascia. The definition of what is considered as fascia has broadened.

Fascia: revised and broadened definition

The revised definition has broadened. An excerpt from the literature titled Anatomy, Fascia Layers, cited in PubMed stated that “.... Recently, the definition has been broadened to include all collagenous based soft tissues in the body, including cells that create and maintain the extracellular matrix. The new definition also includes certain tendons, ligaments, bursae, endomysium, perimysium, and epimysium. ....”

Fascia: the orange analogy explanation

If our bodies are like funky looking oranges, not that we’re aspiring to be one! As with the orange, a membranous layer holds and wraps the juice into tiny sacs called the juice vesicles. Another thicker membrane wraps many of the juice vesicles into orange segments. The white layer wrapper beneath the peel, i.e. the pith, in turn wraps the segments together within the rind or the peel into a whole fruit – the orange. In parallel to an orange, the fascia to our soft tissue muscle is the white layers of wrappers to the orange, and the material that forms our muscle is the juice to the orange.

So, fascia organizes and binds various tissues, muscles, organs together so that they glide over each other smoothly. This is how our tissue and joints can move freely without any restrictions or pain … ~ … Only when the tissue is healthy. Our fascia becomes tight and knotted when the many layers of fascia are stuck together, or when they are stuck to the muscle. When this happens, we feel stiff or restricted in our movements, in more severe cases we may feel pain.

In short, like the mesh of blood vessels and the network of nerves, the fascia network permeates throughout the entire body.

As the fascial expert, Tom Myers, has said, “….

You can just think of it like an orange. Each drop of juice is contained within one of those little cells. Those cells are contained within the section, that sections are contained within the pith and the pith is contained within the rind. “It’s the reason that the 60-70% of us that is made up of water isn’t a puddle on the ground.

What is myofascial pain syndrome?

Most people have muscle pain from time to time. But the pain from myofascial pain syndrome is an ongoing and longer-lasting pain. If left untreated, the pain is persistent and does not heal on its own.

Myofascial pain can also present itself as a trigger point. A trigger point is a hardened nodule of tight and contracted muscles. They are found in anywhere in the body. However, the most common areas where trigger points can be found are the neck, back, gluteal/buttock. A trigger point usually forms in the muscle belly and fascia of the muscles.

Symptoms of myofascial pain or trigger point:

• Pain over prolong period of time
• When applying physical pressure to the trigger point it can be painful. You may feel the hardened nodule or taut band twitches or “jumps” when touched.
• Referred pain; for example, a trigger point or “knot” in the neck can cause pain that spreads and tracks along the arm to the hand.
• Loss of strength in affected area. For example, a trigger point or myofascial pain in the shoulder, you may find that it is very challenging to lift up your arm to comb your hair.
• Restricted movement therefore, reducing function and mobility

What cause myofascial pain?

For many reasons fascia can become tight and develop into painful trigger points if unaddressed. The cause of trigger point is not clearly understood. According to a review article published in 2014 (MS Jafri), muscle trauma, muscle overuse and psychological stress are believed to result in myofascial trigger points.

Examples of common activities which can result in myofascial trigger points are:

• Muscle overload from activities such as lifting heavy load at worksites or during performance activities of daily living tasks,
• Repetitive tasks – doing the same movement over and over for prolong durations. Sitting for long periods looking over devices, working at laptops or computers or seated while driving for extended periods of time are considered repetitive tasks.

In the above examples, poor ergonomics, improper posture, de-conditioned muscle, fatigue have been the common factors contributing to trigger point development. The article further indicated that elite athletes too, can develop myofascial trigger points. Although muscle conditioning has been shown to prevent trigger point development, activities which overexert above certain threshold will incite the formation of trigger point.

Psychological and emotional stress can initiate formation of trigger points. Being in a sustained stressful circumstance increases activation of the sympathetic nervous system i.e., the “fight or flight” response. The environment increases the susceptibility to developing trigger points