Myofascial release helps to reduce pain and discomfort, but it’s also a way to prevent it in the future. And while you can enjoy a number of benefits with the help of a talented practitioner, there are a few things you can do yourself to get the most out of this treatment method.
1. Be Present and Monitor How You Feel During Treatment
Understanding what is happening during your session and good communication with your practitioner can really help you achieve the greatest benefits. This requires you to scan your body before, during, and after your treatment and pay attention to how you feel.
Certain areas may hurt or feel more relaxed, or you may feel pain, tightness, or tension in certain parts of the body. By telling your practitioner how you feel, they can focus on different parts of your body and assess the impact of their methods more accurately.
Even keeping a record of your thoughts and feelings can help you to track your improvement over time.
2. Breathing
Breathing is a simple practice that can complement many bodywork treatments and methods. Regulating your inflow and outflow can help your body relax and release tension while allowing you to focus on how your body feels.
If you feel any pain or discomfort, good breathing can also help you work through it and stay present while your practitioner kneads or massages any particularly tough knots.
3. Pay Attention to Your Body in Daily Life
After your first treatment, don’t forget about the work that’s been done and try to be more aware of how your body feels.
This applies to things like your posture while walking and sitting. If you immediately go back into poor sitting, slouching, hunching over, or craning your neck at the desk, this can quickly undo the good work that’s done during your treatment.
4. Consider Treatment for Prevention and Protection
You don’t need to be in pain or suffer from extreme soreness to consider myofascial release treatment. A tight neck or frequent muscle spasms could lead to substantial and dangerous conditions if left unchecked.
5. Understanding How It works
MFR can actually be quite an intense experience and the theory and practice are much different from the massages you’re probably used to. It’s worth noting that resolving issues in one specific part of your body might require your practitioner to work on another part entirely.
Effective treatment will understand the way the body is connected and targeted common problem areas to reduce the overall tension around a body part, as well as targeting it directly.
6. Make Sure You See a Professional
There are some who might claim to be trained in the ways of myofascial release, but not all will actually be able to address the specific problems you have through proven MFR techniques and methods.
A qualified and experienced practitioner will be able to apply the right type and level of treatment to your body, depending on your condition. If someone has simply taken a quick short course in MFR, they’re probably not the best individual to work on you.
7. Recognise Its Benefits
When performed effectively the benefits of myofascial release treatment include:
- Improved circulation
- Released tension, knots and even stress
- Alleviated certain orthopaedic conditions
- Improved your range of motion
- Overall relaxation
- Reduced soreness
- Assisted tissue recovery process
8. Know Where It Can Be Useful
Myofascial release can be particularly effective for parts of the body that are used a lot or remain in a fixed position for long periods of the day. These include:
- Hips
- Quads
- Calves
- Feet
- Neck
- Shoulders
- Arms
- Head
- Jaw
- Lower back
Learn More about Myofascial Release
One of the best ways to benefit from this treatment method is to understand that it’s not just a way to relax and de-stress. Specific techniques will be used to deliver a specific impact on your body, whether it’s massaging, kneading, or applying pressure so that your muscles become loose and more pliable.
We’ve been offering myofascial release therapy in London for a number of years and are well prepared to answer pretty much all of your questions and queries.
If you’re considering using this treatment method in the near future, we’d be happy to help you learn more.
