Manipulation of the soft tissue encapsulating a joint, called fascia, and muscles over joints that have restricted range of motion. Fascia, muscles, and ligaments may tighten after an injury. Soft tissues around the bone need to be stretched in order to improve or restore range of motion. The goals of soft tissue mobilization are to break down, or reduce, fibrous or scar tissue; improve range of motion; decrease pain; disperse inflammation, effusion and edema; and to increase function.

It is technique using the soft pads of your fingers to move one layer of skin on the layer below to release tension in the tissue. This technique is usually performed in the abdominal region, gluteal and thighs. When the tension is released, the blood flow to the area increases, thereby removing toxins from that region, reducing inflammation, decreasing pain, improving nerve conduction and ultimately allowing more movement to occur. With each successive treatment, there is further reduction in connective tissue tension.

This technique is a gentle hand placement near the targeted structures creating a mild tension to encourage the normal mobility, tone and motion of the viscera (internal organ) and their connective tissues. An organ can’t move in harmony with its surrounding viscera due to abnormal tone, scar tissue, adhesions, illness, posture, injury or displacement. This disharmony creates fixed, abnormal points of tension that the body is forced to move around. That chronic irritation, in turn, paves the way for disease and dysfunction. An example would be abnormal tension on the left of a ligament that extends from the neck of the bladder to the lower aspect of the pubic bone restricting the bladder mobility to the right. The patient might be experiencing bladder pain, urgency and frequency. This in turn can cause bladder or urethral spasms which can cause reflexive tightening of the pelvic floor muscles. By releasing the tension of that ligament in relationship to the bladder, the spasms and symptoms should subside.

Joints can become fixated, so that the joint is unable to move freely. Fixated joints can be painful, and they create tension in nearby muscles. Releasing compressed joints often relaxes the surrounding muscles.

Fascia is a very densely woven covering and interpenetrating every muscle, bone, nerve, artery and vein, as well as, all of our internal organs including the heart, lungs, brain and spinal cord. It is one continuous structure from head to toe. Myofascial release involves applying a gentle sustained pressure to the restricted Myofascial connective tissue to relieve pain, improve range of motion, relax muscles, and relieve neurological dysfunction.

A “passive positional release” held for 90 seconds where the involved tissue is “slackened” causing a relaxation of the “spasm” which, in turn, allows local areas of inflammation, trapped within the painful tissue to dissipate. Following this “release” there is an immediate reduction of pain and tension in the involved muscle and connective tissue. This relaxation helps restore normal joint mobility and is also beneficial to other structures in the region that may have been compressed.

Tender points are areas of congestion where tissue may be ischemic (lacking blood flow) or fibrotic. Trigger points are areas of taunt, hyper-contracted bands or nodules within a muscle. They’re tender to touch and have a predicted pain referral pattern. These hyper-contracted nodules within the muscle are palpable and will often feel like little peas or semi-cooked spaghetti; or there may be a lot of scar tissue matted down in the particular area of stress. To deactivate a tender or trigger point the following treatments may be tried: MFR, muscle energy, Strain-Counterstrain, injections, dry needling or sustained compression.

The technique is utilized to reposition a dysfunctional joint and treat the affected musculature. The patient is positioned by the therapist either in sitting or sidelying to engage the restrictive barriers in three planes. The patient then performs an isometric contraction (counterforce) on request, in a specific direction, matching the force exerted by the therapist. The patient is repositioned after each contraction to engage a new barrier. This is repeated three to five times.

Cross friction or transverse friction massage is performed to soften and realign the collagen fibers of the scar properly. This involves using one or two fingers to massage your scar in a direction that is perpendicular to the line of the scar.

A technique where a distractive force is applied by the therapist to a part of the body in an effort to stretch soft tissue or separate articular surfaces.