Sharing Information About Myofascial Therapy for Pain Relief

[MichelleLMT]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to take a moment to share some information about Myofascial Therapy, which some people have found helpful in managing chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia. While I don’t have fibromyalgia myself, as a Myofascial therapist, I’ve worked with individuals dealing with fibromyalgia and various pain-related issues and thought it might be worth mentioning here.

What is Myofascial Therapy?​

Myofascial therapy focuses on relieving tension in the fascia, which is the connective tissue that surrounds muscles. The idea is that by gently releasing tight or restricted areas, it can help alleviate discomfort, reduce stiffness, and increase mobility.

How It Might Help​

Some individuals with fibromyalgia have reported finding relief with Myofascial therapy, particularly in:

• Reducing muscle tightness and improving flexibility
• Easing discomfort from tender spots
• Encouraging relaxation and reducing overall tension

Just Something to Consider​

I know that everyone’s experience with fibromyalgia is different, and not every treatment works for everyone. But I thought it might be helpful to share this as a potential avenue for managing some of the muscle and fascia-related symptoms that many people experience with fibromyalgia.

I’m not promoting anything, just sharing information in case it’s something you might want to explore further. There’s a lot of different therapies and approaches out there, and it’s all about finding what works best for you.

Wishing you all peace and relief on your journey.

 

[JamieMarc]

Thank you for sharing this @MichelleLMT

Dr Liptan does address myofascial release therapy in her book that I am reading, but I am working through the processes she lays out slowly and have not reached that chapter yet.

However, although I have not researched it, I believe that I already practice some form of myofascial release every day. I have been anxious to reach that chapter but have had to be patient as I work through her other recommendations first. Once I do get more into it, I hope to share my experience with the forum.

Hugs!

 

[MichelleLMT]

I’m sure when you get to that chapter, you'll have a deeper understanding of how it connects with everything else you’ve been working on. Looking forward to hearing about your experience once you dive deeper into it.

Continue taking your time and doing what feels best, no one understands your body more than you.

Thanks for sharing. Hugs back to you!

 

[Badger]

It sounds interesting and I had wondered if it would be worth finding someone local to my area, I shall read up about it some more.

 

[Radmun]

Yes, Myofascial Release Therapy does work if you find a therapist that is doing it properly, and that is a huge problem. I originally went to a therapist that worked for the University of Wisconsin Pain Clinic and she was amazing, but expensive. I eventually needed to find a therapist closer to my home and have gone through many because they are not using the correct method. Massaging does not work for me, but steady pressure on different tender areas works wonders. It is painful while you are being worked on, but within a few days you feel a lot better.

Also note that you will need to see a Myofascial Release therapist once a week for a while and can slowly back off to every other week and hopefully once a month for maintenance.

 

[JamieMarc]

One can learn and do myofascial release at home without the need to incur costs associated with expensive therapists. I don't want everyone reading this to think that it is out of reach for them.

 

[Badger]

@JamieMarc I'm going to start looking for videos that might help in it's possible to try myself. Pain in areas such as wrist flexors and forearms has made self massage difficult. The nearest myofascial therapist is a long drive away and quite expensive.

 

[JamieMarc]

@Badger
Me too, once I get to that point in my "plan." I even already have some of the equipment like a foam roller, for example. Once I get to that point in my process, I will share what I learn if I think it could be helpful to someone else here.

 

[MichelleLMT]

I agree with @Radmun. It's important to find a practitioner who specifically offers Myofascial Release, as regular relaxation/deep tissue massage seems to aggravate symptoms for a lot of people. Glad to hear you had a positive experience with the right person. I hope this treatment becomes more accessible one day.

Medical massage therapy is sometimes covered under health insurance or FSA/HSA. I’d recommend looking to look into that if anyone is interested in adding medical massage to their treatment plan.

Would love to hear more of everyone’s experiences. I’m hear to learn as well. Thank you all for sharing.

 

[LisaRichter]

I just had my first session of MFR last Thursday. Although it hasn’t yet helped my overall pain, it has already worked wonders on my bad hip pain. I was surprised to find a therapist close to me because I live in a fairly rural area. It’s definitely not cheap, but if it keeps helping as much going forward, I feel it will be worth it. She has also said she works to put herself out of a job by teaching me how to treat myself at home.

 

[sunkacola]

She has also said she works to put herself out of a job by teaching me how to treat myself at home.

In my opinion, that speaks highly of this individual, and indicates that they are truly there to help and can be trusted.
So glad you have found such a person to help you.