What is Myofascial release?
Category: Physical Therapy
Generic name: Massage Therapy
Myofascial release is a form of soft tissue therapy used to treat somatic dysfunction and accompanying pain and restriction of motion. This is accomplished by relaxing contracted muscles, increasing circulation, increasing venous and lymphatic drainage, and stimulating the stretch reflex of muscles and overlying fascia.
| Purpose | Patients | Evaluations | Perceived Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pain | 24 | 14 | |
| Fibromyalgia | 21 | 17 | |
| Stiffness/spasticity | 12 | 6 | |
| Myofascial pain syndrome | 6 | 6 | |
| Increase effect of another treatment | 3 | 2 |
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
Side effects
Side effects as an overall problem
| Severity | Evaluations | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 1 | |
| Moderate | 4 | |
| Mild | 10 | |
| None | 33 |
Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with Myofascial release
| Side effect | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle soreness | 5 | |
| Uncomfortable | 2 | |
| Fatigue | 1 | |
| Joints ache | 1 | |
| Joint tenderness | 1 | |
| Migraine headaches | 1 |
Why patients stopped taking Myofascial release
Multiple reasons could be selected
| Reason | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Expense | 13 | |
| Course of treatment ended | 8 | |
| Other | 8 | |
| Change in health plan coverage | 3 | |
| Did not seem to work | 3 | |
| Side effects too severe | 1 |
Duration
Stopped going to Myofascial release
| Duration | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 3 | |
| 1 - 6 months | 13 | |
| 6 months - 1 year | 4 | |
| 1 - 2 years | 3 | |
| 2 - 5 years | 6 |
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