Hi Everyone and welcome or welcome back to myYouTube channel! My name is Priya Mistry and
I'm a General Dentist with a practice dedicated to taking care of patients with TMJ Disorders.
My practice is in beautiful Portland, Oregon and I work with my mentor, Dr. Arthur L. Parker.
Today's video is about what is myofascial release..
Myofascial release - let's break up the words: "myo" means muscle and "fascial" means fascia.
Fascia is a thin layer of connective tissue that surrounds the muscle and this fascia has nerve
endings in it that make it almost as sensitive as our skin, so it's a very sensitive tissue
that surrounds the muscles. When muscles and the fascia around them become dysfunctional,
usually due to overuse, poor posture over time, emotional stress, repetitive motions,
or joint problems it can then lead to Myofascial Pain Syndrome - also called MPS.
MPS is a chronic pain disorder that's caused by extreme constriction or tightness of the
myofascial tissues. TMD, which stands for Temporomandibular Disorder or Dysfunction,
recognizes that there's a group of muscles that work together to guide and support the jaw. When
these muscles of the head, neck, and jaw become dysfunctional - usually due to chronic clenching,
chronic grinding, the way that we hold or posture our head, or if we have forward head posture
or problems within the joints - it can lead to a variety of symptoms. But it can also lead to
the muscles and the fascia that surrounds those muscles becoming too tight or too constricted,
so TMD and Myofascial Pain Syndrome are oftentimes very closely related and correlated and should be
treated together. We use myofascial release in our practice as one of our many treatment modalities
and it's proven to be very effective. Myofascial release is a type of physical therapy that
involves applying sustained pressure to the muscles and the fascia that surround them.
When done properly, myofascial release stretches, lengthens, and smooths the overly tight and
constricted myofascial system and allows it to function at its most optimal level. Myofascial
release also stimulates blood circulation, which then brings fresh oxygen and glucose to the
muscles. It also promotes fluid and lymphatic flow which, eliminates toxins that have built up in the
tissue over time. Myofascial release can certainly be a little bit painful because we are applying
pressure to areas that are already sore, so it's sort of similar to kneading out a tight
knot in your muscle during a massage - similar to that. So it can be a little bit painful, but that
pain works in our favor because it then signals to our body to release our body's natural painkillers
-endorphins! These endorphins then help to prevent further pain impulses, so this then creates
a cycle with fresh blood flow, with endorphins coming through, with good lymphatic flow that's
happening, and drainage and toxins being released and taken away. So that instead of having a pain
and spasm cycle, things are allowed to heal. The vast majority of my patients say that it "hurts
so good" when we do myofascial release. We do have some patients that say that it's sort of achy and
sore there for about 24 hours after treatment, but ultimately we have very very good results using
this treatment modality in conjunction with other treatments - our orthotics, our jaw manipulation,
there's a lot that we do here. One question many people have is: does insurance pay for a
myofascial release? And the answer to that is: sometimes, depending on your plan! And if so,
it's usually billed as a part of physical therapy so we do see it getting some coverage, yes.
So, my friends, I hope that you learned more about what myofascial release is. If you liked what
you've heard or you've learned something, please click "Like" below, SUBSCRIBE to my channel,
do all the things, share with your friends. There's so much more to come and thank you!