for those of you who were asking! :)

I went to my first Myofascial Release session today (MFR). It is a form of massage thereapy. From what I know, so far, there isn't a lot of rubbing like in a traditional massage.

It involves very gentle (but increasing) pressure in strategic locations. The purpose is to loosen tight "places" (fascia). I think MFR and Craniosacral work are similar in process, but in differing locations on the body.

I decided to go to this type of thereapy. I've had a "few" accidents where I have fallen/tripped. I have gone the route of medicine (didn't like it - it had no long term benefits), chiropractics ( really liked going. My Chiro used Activator Method which is MUCH gentler than the "twist and pop" method - I can explain in another post) the results were slow, but I would say long lasting and VERY beneficial, massage therapy (swedish and deep muscle - somewhat effective, but short term relief), trigger point therapy (deep, usually temporarily painful, but VERY beneficial, long lasting results). I even went to a surgeon (neuro? orthopaedic? can't remember) he wanted to do surgery, but I said "I'm not crawling to the bathroom every morning and in excruciating pain, so no." Good thing, time is helping heal! ;) Oh, and I have been through Pain Management - VERY beneficial, even if most of it was for my mental awareness of what I can and can't do! :)

So, given these modalities/therapies/treatments, I still feel something is missing. When I started belly dancing. I reallllllly enjoyed it (these hips can move, girls! ;)) but, there were a few moves that I just could NOT get my body to do. Other moves "hurt" but not like the "don't do it again" hurt or the "be careful" hurt. This was different. It was very emotion-filled hurt that was very temporary, and restrictive. I left class in tears several times!

I finally told my teacher I needed a break and explained. She agreed, and said I could return when I was feeling better! :) :) :)

SO, then I went on a hunt for what type of physical therapy I wanted to try. I posted a message at the most previous version of LHC ;) and a few people responded to me (Thank you Sheeba and Nordic Chick)! :)

Sheeba recommened Reiki. Nordic Chick recommended MFR. After reading about the therapies, MFR "felt right".

So, that leads me to today! :)

Oh, heck! I was going to try to type this stuff up in my own words, but I am afraid I will do a very poor job of it. So here are a few links:

http://www.paragonclinic.com/about_fascia3.htm

http://www.windsongtherapy.com/Articles/Aligning_the__Inner_Skeleton_/aligning_the__inner_skeleton_.html

http://www.windsongtherapy.com/Treatment/Specialty_Services/Myofascial_Release/myofascial_release.html

http://www.windsongtherapy.com/Articles/Female_Anatomy/female_anatomy.html

http://www.hmcrehab.com/myof.html


(I have more than the ones I posted, but you can do a search on Google for Myofascial Release and get some good information)

What I found so interesting is that the strength of the fascia can put pressure on internal organs, nerves, adrenal glands, etc. This can cause a myraid of problems.

Anyway, something about this modality made a lot of sense to me. I wanted to give it a try. During MFR, a patient typically goes through a variety of emotions, because the body has memories of injuries (which are being worked out during MFR) and our mind remembers the inury . . . so in healing, the emotion is released.

That is a VERY basic and probably a poor explaination of what MFR is. I"m sorry if I've chopped it up a lot, or if I sound imprecise (is that a word?).


ANYway, that is a laywoman's description of MFR. Follow some of the links. It will make MUCH more sense than I do! ;) hahahaa

So where do you find a MFR person? And how do you know if they are any good?

Tbear ---

I tore my right rotator cuff, damaged my shoulder joint, had some facial injuries and wound up loosing a tooth in an industrial accident (a hydraulic jack gave way under a raised platform I was working on, and a hoist handle hit me in theside of face - the shoulder injuries were from trying not to fall off the platform, it could have been lots worse) anyway did PT of the normal variety with some success, and eventually went back to work.

Had a variety of other troubles that didn't seem associated at first - and after more doctor visits and tests, without any firm diagnosis, it was decided I needed to see another PT - who did MFR - she was magic.
I cried, I laughed like a loon, I cackled like a chicken, I cried, I was depressed, I was elated - and after 9 or 10 sessions - I felt 100% better. The therapist asked me to journal after sessions as well - to record and try to work out these emotional things.

I went back for several more sessions and felt like Lindsey Waggoner (the 6M$Woman). This was about 15 years ago - and I haven't had any trouble since.

Sorry I missed this post on the other board - or I'd have told you how great MFR is.

Gren

PS - imprecise is a great word - and applicable to what you're trying to describe.

Hey, Gren!! Thanks for your experience!!!! :)

WOW! That is GREAT!!!!

When I got home I wrote a tiny bit in a journal. I figured it would be interesting what we talked about! :)


And Snippet, I found this guy (and another place) by doing a search for Myofascial release plus my city's name. Nordic Chick had given me a few things to look for in a therapist. One thing she said was to get someone who had learned FROM Barnes (can't remember his first name off the top of my head). Also, to look at their years of experience. So that is what I did.

I came up with 2 names/places that I liked. I visited both offices. This may be shallow, but the place I chose "felt" and looked better. Also, at the place I chose to NOT go to, I had had a certain therapist in mind . . . she actaully TAUGHT the Barnes method. But when I asked about her, they said it was EXTREMELY difficult to schedule appointments with her. THAT is actually why I went with the other place, I think.

Anyway, HTH! :)

I've had myofascial work and cranial/sacral work. It helped a lot, but, sometimes, while they were working on me, I'd feel shooting pains that ran through my body. Have you experienced those? Gradually, as I went back to p. therapy, those went away.

Yes, Merryrose, I feel those, tool.

I've had Trigger Point therapy which the main focus of is to find those sore spots in the muscle, put pressure on them, let them shoot pain (fire? ache? whatever) to other parts. After the therapist lets up, the pain eases AND the longstanding pain (possibly in another part of the body) seems relieved!

I am a TOTAL believer in Triggerpoint. When I realized that MFR wasn't a "massage", but worked kind of like how Trigger Point works (but without the sometimes intense pressure of TrP) I was commited to trying it.

I know healing could be slow, considering how many OOPSs I've had, but I'm commited to giving it a THOROUGH try.

I went to my 2nd session yesterday. I woke up this morning and nearly fell over and couldn't walk straight, I was SOOOOOOOOOO woozy/dizzy. It was a bit scarey. Then after I got up and moved around, it felt like someone took a bat to the back of my head/neck and lowback. BUT since I know that the therapy can be painful/sore, I'm going to stick through it!!!

I've already felt several different muscle groups spasm (therefore relaxing)! It just totally amazes me how it all works, but I believe in it!

<sigh> but it is hard to explain, especially in print.

Hang in there girl! Tell your therapist about the pain. He/She can tell you how to deal with it and if it is a typical response to what he/she is doing.

Oh, yeah, I've found that when it hurts the most, that DEEP breathing really helps ease the pain. Besides, your body needs the oxygen to help cleans the body of the toxins that are released during "body work"!

Hang in there and breath deeply (and drink lots of water before and after the session)

:heart:

TBrzy - you are the da Bomb (I know I know bad English)

ditto for the rest of your input Gren and MerryRose

I've been hemming and hahing about this for several years and sure enough all the other stuff I've tried only touched the surface of some parts.

So, I sent Boy Dog first - he's got therapy and hydro therapy. I figure if it's working for him (no placebo effect :!: ) I really should get my tuckus in there, afterall, we'll be working with the same therapist :D . This could be an "only in California" ...:DD...g

Do you know much about cranial-sacral work? My PT's office has a woman who does that, and they referred me to her, because of the weird patterns of pain I was having. they also kept doing the myofascial stuff at the same time.

She said that there are nerves that come down from your brain alonside your esophagus and down into your stomach. She said that mine were twisted. This makes some sense to me since I was in a car accident in which I turned around and my spine was twisted at the time of impact (a long time ago). And, I have had problems with GERD, which is affected by these nerves. And, my posture was a bit crooked, with one shoulder slightly higher than the other. She gave me exercises to do at home to correct this. Part of me says this is hocus-pocus, but the other part says, "This makes some since given my history and types of health problems.

She aslo claimed to feel blockages of cerebral fluid near some of my organs. I don't know about the science behind it, but she did help me.

Unfortunately, we are between insurance programs, so I'm having to give up the myofascial work temporarily. but, I am able to go an work out in the physical therapy's mineral pool, which helps.

How are you progressing with your therapy?

Oh, they told me about the water thing. It flushes the toxins from your system. I'm trying to remember to drink a lot when I do the exercise program they recommended at home.

Tbear -- that woozy/dizzy/world tilting goes away after a while. I forget how long though -- I was so scared after the first time when it happened, I called the doctors, who had to call the therapist, who said - yes, that happens and it does go away...there's a lot of residual "stuff" going on in your body, and it's overwhelming to sense of balance, can make you nau, neaus, nauseaus - sick to your stomach too.
I also remember being very sensitive to certain smells - or that may have been part of the sick stomach thing.
Keep remembering --- it all passes

Hang in there.
Gren

PS to Gabi -- you crack me up completely..."only in California" hehehehe :D

Hey, Gren and Merryrose! :)

I'm enjoying talking about this, but I sure wish Nordic Chick would pop in! ;) She actually does some MFR!!! (I'll email her later today).

Yes, the dizziness passed within about 20 minutes. It was worst as I was getting out of bed and trying to walk across the floor. It ONLY happened on the day after so much head/neck work, too.

My experience is that MFR and C/S (craniosacral work) are VERY similar. TrP is more aggressive, but muscles and fascia can have knotted up places/ places where the tissue has not healed correctly. Both/all 3 of the therapies can hurt, but that is just part of the "breaking up the knots" process.

I asked my therapist about the pressure (he had done some MFR and some C/S work) and he said the pressure is about 5 grams . . . equal to the weight of a nickle.


He also mentioned something about the fluid that flows from the brain, along the spinal chord (sp?) and down to the sacrum. It has a pulse, which pulses approximately 6-8 times per minute.

While I was on the table and he was doing to cranial work, I told him I had waves of woozieness/fuzzibrained feeling (YES, I made up fuzzibrained). That's when he explained the pulsing.

Anyway, I believe if our muscles can become cramped (including mis-shaping the body's structure/form/stance), then it is logical (to ME) that muscle work can correct the problem.

The longer I live, the more I believe in various forms of touch-therapy (massage, TrP, MFR, etc.).

If either of you want to PM me, you can! I find this kind of stuff SO interesting!

Tbear