In early 2018 I started CrossFit to supplement my running and yoga.  I had been weight training for years but my husband had been really trying to get me to go with him.  We were getting married that July and I know it’s a clear motivator to workout when you go with someone else so I went for it.

Those who play together stay together, right?

I was really getting into it until I started getting some serious issues in my left knee, left low glute/top of hamstring, and lower left side of my back.  It got so bad I had to cool off on a lot of my workouts.  UGHHHHH.

RIGHT BEFORE MY WEDDING.  Huh uh, I don’t think so.  This is my time to be in tip top shape!!  This cannot happen! Not right now!

I’ve literally never hurt myself so bad in my life just from working out. 

I was desperate and searching for answers.  Enter Mayofascial Release.

The Fascial System

Maybe you’ve heard of fascia but aren’t really sure what it does or how you know its there.

Fascia is a connective tissue made up of collagen and elastin.  It is weaved throughout almost every structure of our bodies.

It holds our organs in place, pads our adipose tissue around our organs to give protection, and interweaves through muscles, veins, and arteries.  It’s connected from our heads to our toes and everywhere in-between, creating a network of tissue. 

So it’s connected to everything.  Seems pretty important if you ask me…

MFR = Myofascial Release Technique

It’s hard to keep up with all the latest health trends, therefore, even harder to navigate which are truly worth it.

Living in Southern California I feel like there is a new health fad or fitness form that pops up on my radar faster than I can keep up.

In my pursuit to stay fit, healthy, and balanced, I’m willing to try most of them…

I’m looking at you colonics.

via GIPHY

Myofascial Release is one of them.  Only recently has it gained popularity but it’s been around a long time.  John Barnes has been practicing the MFR technique for 40 years.

“Myofascial Release is a safe and very effective hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure into the Myofascial connective tissue restrictions to eliminate pain and restore motion. This essential “time element” has to do with the viscous flow and the piezoelectric phenomenon: a low load (gentle pressure) applied slowly will allow a viscoelastic medium (fascia) to elongate.”  – mayofascialrelease.com

I had heard of this practice before, I was ready to try anything to feel better and get back at it.   

The Experience

I found Nicole, an MFR and deep tissue massage therapist and booked an appointment.

Based on her “deep tissue and MFR specialties” I was thinking it would be more like a deep tissue massage + MFR (wasn’t sure what that meant but it sounded glorious).

I walked into Nicole’s office, she was a bit taken back at first since she was expecting me to be a boy.  Hehe, unisex names.

I filled out a questionnaire and she asked me about my concerns.  I told her about my hip, knee, low back, and neck pain, all on my left side.

She first had me stand facing her, then to the side, then facing away from her.  She assessed what she saw in my body:  Shortened left side torso, twisted pelvis, head to the left slightly.

These are things an untrained eye would never see.  I never noticed them myself. 

That is, until my yoga mentor/physical therapist (who also happens to be MFR trained) from two years ago mentioned my pelvis was slightly twisted.  

I tried for weeks to figure out how it was twisted, I wasn’t quite sure if it was just a rotation or also a tilt? 

Could this be the reason I have left knee and hip pain?

Finally one day in a yoga class I was face down on the mat and it hit me that my left hip touched the mat while my right did not.  Bingo.  Now how do I fix that?

It left me wondering, is it possible to get back into alignment or did I do permanent damage over many years

Getting Hand-sy

Back to Nicole..  She had me lay face up where she started right in on the psoas. 

She placed about 6 fingers into the left psoas and held.  And held.  And held.

Literally didn’t move an inch for 7 minutes.

via GIPHY  So… I just lay here then?

I asked, “So what is happening exactly?”  (In my head: Ok this is f*&%ing awkward??)  She proceeds to explain fascia to me…

It’s made up of elastin and collagen, it is connected to everything in your body, every nerve, fiber, and cell of your being, carries pressure of 2000lbs per square inch, and takes a long time to release (read: create positive affect in the body).  Hence the holding.

What Does Fascia Do?

In a nutshell, it’s connective tissue that holds everything in your body in place.

Ever wonder why all your organs stay up rather than fall to the bottom of your torso?  Fascia.

via GIPHY

She explained that the elastin will take to stretching, but collagen will not. 

Therefore, to make a difference in your body, you need to hold the point of tension for 5-7 minutes at a time.

You might be thinking, 5-7 minutes of holding one spot?  I ain’t got time for that! 

…But if it was worth it, would you?

As time went on, I got over the awkwardness, relaxed, and almost fell asleep.  Nicole proceeded to do MFR release on my low back, hips, left mid back, and legs.

The most surprising thing… it’s super subtle.

I kept thinking she wasn’t doing much, only for her to hold the same position for 7 minutes. 

It just kinda felt like her hands were on me with a light pressure, not moving.

Nothing like a massage

After my 90 minute session of what felt like not a whole lot, she said, “Slowly sit up, take a second to sit before you stand up” and that was it.

She said to pay attention to how my body feels over the next few days and asked how it felt immediately after my session.

In the moments after, I didn’t feel much of a change TBH, but then again that could be because it was only one time. 

How Often Do You Need MFR?

She recommends once a week for a while until you feel good, then taper off to two weeks, and once a month for maintenance.

So, How Did My Body Change?

• Would I feel different over the next few days? 
• Would I feel more open/loose? 
• Most importantly, would the aches and pains fade away? 
  

But something happened.  After going for a couple hill sprints, I almost blew out my knee.  I was limping for a week after.  I realized then, I was more injured than I ever thought.

Therefore, at that point, my inability to run (and now walk) without causing major damage pushed me to seek a more tried and true method for my injury.  Physical Therapy.

Perhaps if I continued MFR, I might have, but I didn’t notice any change in my body.  Based on what I know about my back now, it might have been because I was too far messed up.  I found out I have scoliosis, which has been a cause of a whole heap of issues.

Had I not had such a serious condition, I would have most likely gone back to Nicole for additional treatments.  The process was calm, relaxing, and quite honestly, sedating.  I’ll take it.  

Have you tried MFR?  Has MFR worked for you?  What was your ailment and how was your experience? 

-Shay