Let’s talk about relieving muscle soreness and loosening up those tight muscles using a technique called myofascial release. What type of strangeness is that you ask? According to Mayo clinic, “myofascial release is a manual therapy technique often used in massage. The technique focuses on pain believed to arise from myofascial tissues — the tough membranes that wrap, connect and support your muscles”.
For example, have you ever felt sore or have muscle tightness in a particular area and when you put pressure on it, it relieved some of the pain? And hopefully afterwards, the area felt a little less tight and painful. Congratulations! You have done basic myofascial release therapy and didn’t even know it.
BENEFITS OF MYOFASCIAL RELEASE
Myofascial release is a type of soft tissue work that can help loosen up stiff or sore areas of your body. By loosening those areas, your muscles and tissues can move and contract more effectively, which helps:
- Reduce muscle soreness and DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)
- Increase blood flow, improving your vascular function
- Speed up recovery time
- Relieve stress and tension
- Help you get more out of future workouts
Myofascial release therapy will help you feel and move better. Sounds great doesn’t it?
HOW TO PERFORM SELF MYOFASCIAL RELEASE
Make sure to talk with your doctor before trying self myofascial release therapy.
To perform self myofascial release, apply specific pressure (using the tool) to a stiff or aching spot in a muscle by trapping it between your body and something else: the floor, a wall, another body part etc. The point is to use the ball to reach spots that you can’t reach. It’s like giving yourself a deep tissue massage.
If you are new to this type of trigger point therapy, it will most likely be very uncomfortable at first. But, the more you do it, the less uncomfortable it will be. And soon after, you will start to move and feel better – which is key to living a healthier life.
