What is Myofascial Release?
Myofascial massage therapeutic approaches are deep-tissue in nature, and ease chronic pain, relieve pressure from nerves, improve scar-tissue flexibility, improve movement quality, circulation, fascial glide, and give a feeling of openness, freedom, and creation of space where there otherwise wasn’t.
Pressure is held until release is felt, about 60-180 seconds. This release helps the body re-organize to improve posture and economy of movement. Techniques include strain/counter strain, pin and stretch, c-bowing, and pick up & roll.
With regular Fascial Therapy, the changes we create over the course of a multiple therapy sessions will have a lasting effect and improve your overall well-being and body function in ways that may not have been anticipated.
What soft tissue pathologies can benefit from Myofascial Therapy?
Cervical (neck) tension, Migraine, TMJ, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Carpal or Cubital Tunnel Entrapment, Elbow/Shoulder over-use issues, Lumbar Herniations & Sciatica, Scar Tissue from surgical incisions (breast, abdominal etc)
How is Myofascial Release performed?
Oil is not used in authentic myofascial work because:
- you are not gliding over the bodies tissues or using friction, but rather lifting fascia & muscle and reshaping it – traction is necessary to be able to stay on the tissues
- the practitioner can better assess the tissue quality and modulate the therapy accordingly
- the session is not interrupted by constant reapplication of oil
- the recipient does not leave the session coated in oil.
How do I prepare for Myofascial massage?
Sports bra for women and stretchy elastic shorts for both sexes are best, as we perform stretching and at times side-lying positions. Also, due to the techniques used in the type of massage, moisture on the skin is a barrier to getting the proper traction needed to be most effective, so we ask that you do not use any lotion on your skin after your shower that morning (face and hands are ok).
Being adequately hydrated (with water) is also helpful to this type of therapy, as dehydration is very unfriendly to our fascia and vital to the therapeutic process.
Denise Maloney LMT, NCPT, has had extensive training (over 240 hours) in Fascial Therapy as a level 3 practitioner of Taylor Techniques and is a NY LMT with 1000 hours of practice/study. She has been practicing massage for over 10 years, and myofascial release for over 5 years. She also is a Balanced Body comprehensively trained Pilates Instructor with 5 years of experience working in both fitness and rehabilitative settings.
Denise Maloney
Licensed Massage Therapist
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Denise Maloney is a Licensed Massage Therapist and a comprehensively trained Pilates Instructor through Balanced Body. Denise has been practicing massage for over 10 years and Pilates for over 4 years at various fitness clubs, spas, yoga centers, and rehabilitation facilities.
Denise has a Fascial Therapy certification (myofascial massage) achieving over 240 hours through Taylor Techniques, learning protocols for fascial chains, osseous, and basic visceral. These myofascial techniques are very useful in management of pain due to over-use injuries, poor posture, stress/anxiety, or just general relaxation/promotion of well-being.
Denise has always practiced Pilates on the mat, and during her mat instructor training, she fell in love with the apparatus, and its therapeutic effects on her own body. This discovery lead her to her full apparatus Pilates training, learning how to strengthen people out of their habitual postures/physical manifestation of emotional collapse. Her lessons and manual therapy sessions complement each other and both relax and energize as much as they strengthen, uplift & restore appropriate tone.