Myofascial Release
Imagine you were injured a couple of years ago. You received on-going therapy in the
form of hot packs, ultrasound, massage, electrical stimulation, exercise and flexibility
training, joint mobilization and muscle energy techniques, medication and
psychological counseling to no avail. All of the standard tests show nothing and you
desperately want to get better.
You've been given a multitude of different diagnostic labels and all the experts are
telling you there is nothing wrong. You feel imprisoned in a body that won't respond
and allow you to play and work again. You feel helpless and out of control. What if
something was overlooked? What could it be?
form of hot packs, ultrasound, massage, electrical stimulation, exercise and flexibility
training, joint mobilization and muscle energy techniques, medication and
psychological counseling to no avail. All of the standard tests show nothing and you
desperately want to get better.
You've been given a multitude of different diagnostic labels and all the experts are
telling you there is nothing wrong. You feel imprisoned in a body that won't respond
and allow you to play and work again. You feel helpless and out of control. What if
something was overlooked? What could it be?
By: John F. Barnes, PT
THE INSTINCTUAL "FREEZE RESPONSE"
When many of us are injured, we go into a state of disassociation at the moment of trauma to survive. Our
body/mind experiences an instinctive "freeze response" and this positional, physiological memory becomes
indelibly imprinted into your mind/body awareness. The sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic nervous
systems become stuck in a state of hyper arousal that is not under our voluntary control.1 It is like having your
foot on the accelerator of a car and the other foot on the brake. This consumes an enormous amount of energy
and eventually exhausts us.
Because this positional memory becomes disassociated and locked in our subconscious, we have no awareness
of it and without conscious awareness, we have no control of it.
This "freeze response," over time, creates holding or bracing patterns that eventually produce increased chronic
muscular tone, spasm, and myofascial restrictions that eventually become symptoms.
Traditionally, therapy focuses on symptoms, explaining why modalities, exercise, joint mobilization and muscle
energy techniques, massage and/or medicine can, many times, only produce poor or temporary results.
Why didn't good psychological counseling help? Possibly because the majority of psychological therapy is done in
consensus consciousness. In other words, "talk therapy" and analysis are focused on the conscious level and the
cause of the chronic symptom complex is on the instinctual level, which is not accessed by words and analysis,
or for that matter by traditional therapeutic interventions or medicine.
What can help this state of disassociation? Myofascial release and mysofascial unwinding.
Myofascial restrictions do not show up in any of the standard tests, so myofascial restrictions that solidify these
chronic holding or freeze response patterns in our bodies are missed or misdiagnosed in healthcare.
Myofascial release frees these powerful, structural restrictions that place enormous pressure upon sensitive
structures that produce pain, headaches and restrictions of motion. And myofascial unwinding (the motion
facilitation component of the myofascial release approach) guides the patient into significant positions of past
traumas.
In the safety of the therapeutic environment, the therapist gently holds the patient in these significant
positions of past trauma. In these therapeutic positions, the patient's tissue memory releases the instinctual
bracing patterns. The "freeze response" is then deactivated, which allows for continued structural release and
elimination of symptoms. The release of tissue memory creates awareness to return the patient to conscious
choice and control of his or her destiny. The patient can then progress toward the ultimate goal of healing and
health.
When many of us are injured, we go into a state of disassociation at the moment of trauma to survive. Our
body/mind experiences an instinctive "freeze response" and this positional, physiological memory becomes
indelibly imprinted into your mind/body awareness. The sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic nervous
systems become stuck in a state of hyper arousal that is not under our voluntary control.1 It is like having your
foot on the accelerator of a car and the other foot on the brake. This consumes an enormous amount of energy
and eventually exhausts us.
Because this positional memory becomes disassociated and locked in our subconscious, we have no awareness
of it and without conscious awareness, we have no control of it.
This "freeze response," over time, creates holding or bracing patterns that eventually produce increased chronic
muscular tone, spasm, and myofascial restrictions that eventually become symptoms.
Traditionally, therapy focuses on symptoms, explaining why modalities, exercise, joint mobilization and muscle
energy techniques, massage and/or medicine can, many times, only produce poor or temporary results.
Why didn't good psychological counseling help? Possibly because the majority of psychological therapy is done in
consensus consciousness. In other words, "talk therapy" and analysis are focused on the conscious level and the
cause of the chronic symptom complex is on the instinctual level, which is not accessed by words and analysis,
or for that matter by traditional therapeutic interventions or medicine.
What can help this state of disassociation? Myofascial release and mysofascial unwinding.
Myofascial restrictions do not show up in any of the standard tests, so myofascial restrictions that solidify these
chronic holding or freeze response patterns in our bodies are missed or misdiagnosed in healthcare.
Myofascial release frees these powerful, structural restrictions that place enormous pressure upon sensitive
structures that produce pain, headaches and restrictions of motion. And myofascial unwinding (the motion
facilitation component of the myofascial release approach) guides the patient into significant positions of past
traumas.
In the safety of the therapeutic environment, the therapist gently holds the patient in these significant
positions of past trauma. In these therapeutic positions, the patient's tissue memory releases the instinctual
bracing patterns. The "freeze response" is then deactivated, which allows for continued structural release and
elimination of symptoms. The release of tissue memory creates awareness to return the patient to conscious
choice and control of his or her destiny. The patient can then progress toward the ultimate goal of healing and
health.
John F. Barnes, PT
WITHOUT AWARENESS, THERE IS NO CHOICE
Reference:
1. Levine, Peter. "Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma." North Atlantic Books, Berkley, CA., 1997
John F. Barnes, PT, is the proprietor of Rehabilitation Services, Inc. , TBA Myofascial Release Seminars. Through his
advancement in healthcare, he has authorized the Myofascial Release Search for Excellence textbook which acts as a reference
and supplement to all of our seminars.
1. Levine, Peter. "Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma." North Atlantic Books, Berkley, CA., 1997
John F. Barnes, PT, is the proprietor of Rehabilitation Services, Inc. , TBA Myofascial Release Seminars. Through his
advancement in healthcare, he has authorized the Myofascial Release Search for Excellence textbook which acts as a reference
and supplement to all of our seminars.
| Author: Jarmila Svoboda Copyright @ 2007 All rights reserved. Revised: 5/3/2011 |
John F. Barnes, PT, is the owner of the Myofascial Release Treatment Centers in Sedona, AZ and n Paoli, PA
(suburban Philadelphia). In addition Barnes presents Myofascial Release Seminars across the country and in
Canada. He has published two books and produced three video on his Myofascial Release Approach. For more
information on Treatment Centers, Seminars, or Merchandise please call 1-800-FASCIAL or write to MFR
Seminars, 222 West Lancaster Ave., Paoli, PA 19301 or visit our website @ www.myofascialrelease.com
(suburban Philadelphia). In addition Barnes presents Myofascial Release Seminars across the country and in
Canada. He has published two books and produced three video on his Myofascial Release Approach. For more
information on Treatment Centers, Seminars, or Merchandise please call 1-800-FASCIAL or write to MFR
Seminars, 222 West Lancaster Ave., Paoli, PA 19301 or visit our website @ www.myofascialrelease.com
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