President Kennedy’s back pain as a result of his World War II injury is well known. But what is not well known is that Dr. Janet Travell, his primary physician, treated him with a form of complementary medicine called Myofascial release. Most people associate pain with muscle injury, and while this is often true, there may be other contributing factors. Muscle pain can also be the result of injury in related tissues like tendons and ligaments. Another possible cause of pain originates in connective tisse called fascia.

Fascia is the sheet of connective tissue that envelops, separates, and binds muscles, organs and other soft tissues. In the same way that a pull in the yarn of a sweater affects more than just the specific point damage, injury to fascia can cause widespread problems. Pain felt in one area may be the result of restriction in a seemingly unrelated area, but because fascia connects the body from head to toe, these correlations actually make perfect sense. In many cases, injured fascia is the cause of otherwise unexplained pain or decreased range of motion and flexibility.

Numerous factors lead to fascial injury, making many susceptible to fascial pain. “Muscle is elastic, fascia is plastic. Stretched, a muscle will attempt to recoil back to its resting length. Stretch fascia quickly and it will tear (the most frequent form of connective tissue injury).”1  Fascial injuries are often a result of reoccurring stress, and can also be the product of physical and emotional trauma, inflammation, surgery and poor posture, and repetitive motion are among the most common causes of fascial damage. Job-related ailments including migraine and tension headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, and sciatic pain are among many common conditions related to injured fascia. Lack of movement in the body can also affect the health of the fascia—just like muscles atrophy over time, fascia can create restrictions without regular healthy activity.

Myofascial release is a bodywork technique used to aid the fascial healing process. Performed with slow, sustained pressure, myofascial release elicits a viscous response in the soft tissue freeing restriction, restoring healthy movement and relieving pain. “If the stretch is applied slowly enough, it will deform plastically: it will change its length and retain that change … fascia does not ‘snap back’—although over time and given the opportunity, it will lay down new fibers which will rebind the area.” 2  Because fascia exists on all levels of the body, a variety of hand positions and pressures are used to address each layer of injury or restriction. It is most common to begin with light, gentle pressure to release superficial fascia first and slowly move into deeper layers with appropriate pressure.

Many professionally trained massage therapists have also received training in Myofascial release. Entire sessions may be devoted to Myofascial release or it may be blended easily with massage and other bodywork techniques. Since the entire body is interconnected through fascia, myofascial release is useful in treating many ailments from specific conditions like fibromyalgia to common issues like back and neck pain, including the soft tissue pain related to bulging, herniated, or degenerated vertebral discs.

Fascial injury is specific to the individual, and a properly trained practitioner will be able to determine the best treatment dependent on the particular needs of each client. Not everyone aspires to reach the White House like President Kennedy, but managing pain can better help anyone achieve goals.

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1 http://www.anatomytrains.com/explore/tensegrity/buildbody  

		Julia C. Brunelle, CMT is a professionally trained massage therapist at Creative Wellness in East Lansing. She is a graduate of Hope College and the Kalamazoo Center for the Healing Arts and specializes in Myofascial Release, relaxation, caniosacral therapy, neuromuscular therapy, acupressure and reflexology.