In order to understand what myofascial (myo=muscle, fascia=connective tissue) release is, one needs to understand what fascia is. Fascia is a living, connective tissue that is found in all nerves, arteries, veins, organs, and muscles, down to the cellular level as it permeates these structures. Thus, it has no ending nor a beginning—it is uninterrupted tissue. If one were to remove all bones, muscles, organs, skin, and other tissue in the body but keep the fascia, what would be left is a human form with well-defined parts including the ears, nose, and eye orbits. Fascia is primarily composed of elastin fibers, collagen fibers and ground substance (or matrix). Elastin has elastic properties and is similar to a rubber band. Collagen is more dense and fibrous and has a tensile strength of up to 2,000 pounds per square inch, which means not only does it withstand this significant amount of force, but also produce this amount of force on other structures. Collagen does not stretch or give as readily as elastin does which means traditional stretching does not affect the collagen.  The cells of the body are bathed in the ground substance (matrix) which has a consistency similar to raw egg whites.  It is optimal to maintain the appropriate consistency of this fluid for best cellular health.

It helps to view fascia as a spider web or a cable knit sweater. When pulling on a corner, one can see the pulling that occurs in other areas. The same is true of fascia. A force or pull that is generated at the top left corner can create an effect at the bottom right, bottom left, top right, or anywhere in the web. When we experience trauma or stress—physical, mental, and/or emotional—our fascia begins to bind down, tighten, and squeeze out the water, leaving behind a dried out or dessicated ground substance (matrix).  This leads to a build-up of toxins in the cells and less than optimum cellular function.  It is comparable to wringing out a washcloth and leaving it to dry for several hours. When one picks it up, the washcloth is “crispy,” non-pliable, and lacking one of the most vital substances known to man-water. The binding down, tightening, and drying-out creates mechanical forces that subsequently “pull” on the tissues that fascia permeates, including nerves, arteries, veins, organs, and muscles. These forces over time can lead to adhesions, scarring, and structural changes which, in turn, can lead to pain and dysfunction.