IMPORTANT!Many of the techniques in the book require the use of a small inflatable ball to apply pressure into the fascial restrictions. Balls must be purchased separately. Through a lot of research and experimentation, we have found what we feel to be the highest quality, longest lasting 4" inflatable ball on the market. They are available through this link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088P9THQK?pf_rd_r=27AMK3Y5T3P8H12P8RQJ&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbeeMyofascial Stretching: A Guide to Self-Treatment is a manual of techniques that, when completed properly, results in permanent lengthening of the body's connective tissue and dramatically improves health and quality of life. It was written for the lay person who has chronic pain, muscular tightness and/or postural dysfunction; and also for therapists to use to recommend home exercise programs for their patients. Myo means muscle. Fascia is the tough connective tissue surrounding every cell of the body from head to toe like a three-dimensional spider web. Injury, trauma, inflammation and poor posture cause the fascial system to tighten, putting pressure on muscles, nerves, blood vessels, bones, organs and the brain. Resulting symptoms include pain, restriction of motion, and structural misalignment, which can impair daily functioning and athletic performance. Myofascial Stretching removes this abnormal pressure, allowing the body to return to optimal function.The book follows Myofascial Release principles, using sustained pressure and tissue elongation. Two ways to do Myofascial Stretching are included: one using a 4-inch inflatable ball and one utilizing active elongation. The two methods complement each other, especially if one first releases tight tissue with the ball and follows up with an elongation stretch to the same area. Myofascial Stretching differs from traditional stretching in four primary ways. 1. Time. All stretches, with or without the ball, must be held continuously for minimum 90 to 120 seconds before the fascia begins to let go. It is not uncommon to hold a technique for 3-5 minutes or more in order to release multiple layers of tightness or restriction. The result is permanent release of the tissue, as opposed to temporary results achieved with traditional 30 second stretching. 2. Active elongation. This is what allows one to engage the fascial barrier. 3. Conscious Presence. It is exponentially more effective when you are able to focus on the tension in the tissue, direct your breath into the restriction, notice the resulting slack as the release takes place, elongate into the next barrier and wait for another release to occur. Regular practice will increase body awareness, and result in improved focus and groundedness. 4. Simultaneous Stretching and Strengthening. During active elongation, muscle groups opposing the tight fascia have to contract in a sustained manner. This strengthens them, thereby helping to maintain the elongated state of the tissue just released.Following an introduction to the Myofascial Release approach, the book includes a photograph of every technique with an accompanying narrative description. The 12 book sections relate to different parts of the body with a chart to help decide where to start depending on symptoms. This arbitrary division is for simplification in organizing the information. In treatment the body is always considered as a whole.Utilizing Myofascial Release principles for stretching causes a permanent softening and lengthening of connective tissue. This results in decreased pain, enhanced daily functional abilities, refined athletic performance, increased ease of movement and improved posture. It is extremely empowering to see and feel these results in your body and in your life, and to know you have the ability to manage and diminish your own pain, while saving money normally spent on various practitioners. It is time to Feel Good Again!

An essential self-help guide to treatment of chronic pain based on myofascial release This indispensible self-help guide is for anyone suffering from chronic pain and struggling to understand why standard medical approaches have failed them. Taking a mind-body approach, the book clearly and simply explains how chronic pain develops, and why an understanding of fascia—the main connective tissue in the body—is the key to restoring pain-free movement and health. Author and myofascial release expert Amanda Oswald informs readers about the role of fascia in chronic pain and empowers them to help themselves through simple and effective self-care techniques, stretches, and exercises. Living Pain Free is a must-read for anyone experiencing chronic pain from conditions including migraines and headaches, repetitive strain injury (RSI), jaw (TMJ) pain, frozen shoulder, neck and back pain, chronic pelvic pain, scar tissue, and systemic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and myofascial pain syndrome. It will also benefit anyone interested in understanding chronic pain from a myofascial perspective.

A clinical reference manual for the evaluation and treatment of muscle pain • Contains detailed illustrations of pain patterns and trigger-point locations • 15,000 copies sold in first hardcover edition Myofascial pain syndromes are among the fastest growing problems that physicians, osteopaths, acupuncturists, and physical, occupational, and massage therapists encounter in their patients. In Trigger Point Therapy for Myofascial Pain Donna and Steven Finando have organized vast amounts of information on treating myofascial pain into an accessible "user's manual" for healthcare practitioners. They examine a wide range of pain patterns and present evaluation and palpation techniques for reducing trigger points--and thereby alleviating pain--in the most clinically significant musculature of the body. This comprehensive yet easy-to-use reference guide to treatment of muscle pain begins with chapters on the concept of Qi and its relationship to myology, specific trigger point location and activation, and palpatory skill-building techniques. Subsequent sections provide detailed information on each muscle to teach clinicians to locate quickly and accurately individual points of pain and compensation. A visual index allows easy identification of the muscles that may be involved. Trigger Point Therapy for Myofascial Pain provides necessary and invaluable information for sufferers and any professional involved with myofascial disorders.

Trigger point therapy is one of the fastest-growing and most effective pain therapies in the world. Medical doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists are all beginning to use this technique to relieve patients’ formerly undiagnosable muscle and joint pain, both conditions that studies have shown to be the cause of nearly 25 percent of all doctor visits. This book addresses the problem of myofascial trigger points—tiny contraction knots that develop in a muscle when it is injured or overworked. Restricted circulation and lack of oxygen in these points cause referred pain. Massage of the trigger is the safest, most natural, and most effective form of pain therapy. Trigger points create pain throughout the body in predictable patterns characteristic to each muscle, producing discomfort ranging from mild to severe. Trigger point massage increases circulation and oxygenation in the area and often produces instant relief. The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, Third Edition, has made a huge impact among health professionals and the public alike, becoming an overnight classic in the field of pain relief. This edition includes a new chapter by the now deceased author, Clair Davies’ daughter, Amber Davies, who is passionate about continuing her father’s legacy. The new edition also includes postural assessments and muscle tests, an illustrated index of symptoms, and clinical technique drawings and descriptions to assist both practitioners and regular readers in assessing and treating trigger points. If you have ever suffered from, or have treated someone who suffers from myofascial trigger point pain, this is a must-have book.

This book is a great resource for anyone in the healthcare profession or anyone who facilities the healing process. It is especially helpful for body workers and therapists. It gives simple answers that can help both therapists and patients with their understanding of the healing process in general, and also helps with more specific questions about myofascial release. Some of the questions are: what is myofascial release? How is myofascial release different from other techniques? What can myofascial release help with? The answers given are simple, concise, and will help with an overall understanding of the healing process, which can then allow for faster and more significant results.