Myofascial Release with Sonatherapy

(Appeared in the November 2010 issue of Healthy Beginnings Magazine.)

Have you been told that you have to “just have to live with pain” or that the pain “is all in your head?” Have you altered your lifestyle because of pain (unable to socialize, care for your children, work, exercise, etc.)? Do you feel exhausted and run down much of the time? Have you visited a chiropractor or acupuncturist with little success, tried different pain medications or injections, or even had surgery? If these scenarios sound familiar, you may find relief from Myofascial Release.

Myofascial Release offers a non-invasive, medication-free alternative for resolving pain and other symptoms. It is a safe, effective massage technique in which focused, sustained pressure is directed to the connective tissue to cause it to elongate, eliminating pain and restoring motion.

Fascia is a layer of fibrous tissue that permits movement within the human body. It penetrates and surrounds muscles, bones, organs, nerves, blood vessels and other tissues. The most interesting aspect of the fascial system is that it is not just a group of separate coverings, it is one continuous structure that extends from head to toe. Each part of the body is connected to every other part by the fascia, like yarn in a sweater. Myo means “muscle,” and myofascial refers to fascia that wraps and shields the muscular tissues.

Trauma, inflammation and surgical procedures create myofascial restrictions that can produce tensile pressures as much as 2,000 pounds per square inch on pain-sensitive areas. Many people who suffer with pain and lack of motion may have fascial problems, and most go undiagnosed.

Conditions that can benefit from myofascial release are chronic back and neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, dizziness, vertigo, fibromyalgia, headache, plantar fasciitis, post-polio symptoms, TMJ (jaw) dysfunction, women’s reproductive issues, toxicity and whiplash.

Myofascial Release is among several types of massage offered at Steamboat Hot Springs Healing Center & Spa. Here the technique is based on trigger points that are linked to acupoints and meridians, networks that extend all the way down to the cytoplasm within the cells. Clients can experience a Sonatherapy™ session administered by Dr. Gary Buchanan, with Michael Tamburello doing Myofascial Release (Sona II).

During Sonatherapy, sound, light, color and geothermal hydrotherapy are combined with Myofascial Release, bringing relief with vibrational inductions and entrainments. Myofascial release techniques are available with our other massage therapists as well, when a particular injury or pain pattern is being treated. Geothermal hydrotherapy combined with these massage techniques offers an exceptionally effective treatment.

Sonatherapy combines a geothermal mineral bath, pulsed color and sound bioresonance, followed by a session of Myofascial Release. Our combination of Sonatherapy and Myofascial Release allows a more complete relief because primary problems and secondary associated symptoms and related dysfunctions are also addressed. Thus, in three to four hours, a client can experience the best vibrational and comprehensive therapies available for their very real and protracted pains.

References:

Barnes, John F. Myofascial Release: The Search for Excellence. Rehabilitation Services Inc. 1990.

Barnes, John F. Healing Ancient Wounds: The Renegade’s Wisdom. M F R Treatment Centers & Seminars. June, 2000.

Davis, Carol. Complementary Therapies in Rehabilitation. Slack, Inc. October, 2008.