When trauma occurs, whether physical, mental, emotional or a combination of these, people respond with a flight/fight or freeze response.  It is this unresolved freeze response that MFR therapists believe is what holds us back from fully and naturally healing from a traumatic event.

   Kathy Monkman, BSN, LMT, who is a Myofascial Release therapist with over 20 years of experience, has had a very creative idea that I would like to share with you.

 “I’m excited to share with you a project I’ve launched this week that you might want to affiliate with and/or help me promote.

    Last year I had one of those “aha” moments related to returning service persons struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and how I (we) could help them with Myofascial Release but really didn’t know how or where to begin.  Life went on and this summer a pebble got kicked in me that started a momentum to get this project started and the “In One Peace Project” was born.

 The “In One Peace Project” is created to offer once per month, 100% free clinics to returning service persons using John F. Barnes Myofascial Release to help them resolve issues with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and/or body/head injury.  At my office the 3 of us MFR therapists are going to offer this service to this population each month for a full day of free sessions.  As I say in the mission statement, “we are here to serve those who are serving us.”

 So, please take a look at my site, and friend me on Facebook and affiliate if you’re so inclined and help me get the word out!  Thank you to John for giving me this opportunity to get this out there as well!”

    Thank you, Kathy. We look forward to participating at my Myofascial Release Treatment Centers in Paoli, Pennsylvania (http://www.myofascialrelease.com/fascia_massage/public/treatmentcenter_paoli.asp) 

and Sedona, Arizona (http://www.myofascialrelease.com/fascia_massage/public/treatmentcenter_sedona.asp).

    If you are interested in helping those brave men and women who have risked their lives protecting us, please contact Kathy at: http://www.inonepeaceproject.org/.

Sincerely,

           John

For more information about Myofascial Release, you can now access two separate excerpts from the Fireside Chat with John F. Barnes, PT DVD on ‘You Tube’!   Just click on the following links:

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWRuS9xAbMo

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWRuS9xAbMo>

 Part 2

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4QrvlwtBOU

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4QrvlwtBOU>

   In my Myofascial Release I seminar, I teach therapists the importance of doing self treatment, so they can treat themselves and  so they can also teach their clients to treat themselves.  As the therapists take my advanced Myofascial Release seminars, those that take my advice of doing regular self treatment state that they look and feel younger!

    Over the years from habitual pain expressions, grimacing, and gravity the fascia tightens and deepens the lines and wrinkles in one’s face and neck.  Of the many techniques that I teach is the “fascial facial”.  These techniques can provide a much more youthful appearance to your face and neck.

    Obviously, the internal beauty of physiological health is also very important.  The environment of every cell, the fascia’s ground substance, ideally should be fluid.  Trauma and thwarted inflammatory responses tend to solidify the ground substance.  This limits the amounts of oxygen, nutrition, biochemicals, hormones, information and energy that the 50 trillion cells receive.  The pressure of the restricted fascial system is interfering with the delicate inner mechanisms of the cell.  Recent research is showing that debris, waste products, and toxins that become trapped in the cell may be what can lead to the decline of the aging process. 

   I believe the solidification of the ground substance blocks cellular excretion and does not allow this and the toxins to reach the lymphatic system so they become trapped and cannot flush out to purify cells. 

    I believe that excessive pressure and dehydration of the fascia’s ground substance forces our molecules to tangle and stiffen with age.  Cross links form, gluing the molecules together.  Cross links stiffen our collagen and make our skin wrinkle.  Chemists call this the advanced glycation end products, AGE.

    The goal of Myofascial Release is to release the cross links and eliminate the pressure on our cells and their important environment. 

 Thanks,

         John

For more information about Myofascial Release, you can now access two separate excerpts from the Fireside Chat with John F. Barnes, PT DVD on ‘You Tube’!   Just click on the following links:

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWRuS9xAbMo

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWRuS9xAbMo>

 Part 2

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4QrvlwtBOU

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4QrvlwtBOU>

   My new article titled, “We are not Mindless Machines”, will be available in the print/newsstand version of Massage Magazine in July.  This article discusses some new thoughts and theories about cancer and disease and I discuss how Myofascial Release can help many disease processes, while often times helping to avoid surgeries and/or unnecessary procedures.

   You may also want to read my Therapeutic Insight Column titled, “Breast Health” on the Massage Magazine website under the techniques section or at the following link: (http://www.massagemag.com/News/massage-news.php?id=9186).

 Sincerely,

         John F. Barnes, P.T., L.M.T., N.C.T.M.B.

 For more information about Myofascial Release, you can now access two separate excerpts from the Fireside Chat with John F. Barnes, PT DVD on ‘You Tube’!   Just click on the following links:

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWRuS9xAbMo

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWRuS9xAbMo>

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4QrvlwtBOU

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4QrvlwtBOU>

   You can now access my latest Therapeutic Insight Column titled, “Breast Health” on the Massage Magazine website under the techniques section or at the following link: (http://www.massagemag.com/News/massage-news.php?id=9186).  Also, be on the lookout next month for my new article titled, “We are Not Mindless Machines,” which will be featured in the July issue of MASSAGE Magazine, and discusses the treatment of cancer with myofascial release.

   Myofascial Release is safe, highly effective, and creates the possibility of avoiding medicine and surgery.

 Thanks,

          John

For more information about myofascial release, you can access two separate excerpts from the Fireside Chat with John F. Barnes, P.T. DVD on YouTube. Just click on the following links:

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWRuS9xAbMo

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4QrvlwtBOU

   You may want to view the following ‘You tube’ link on Myofascial Rebounding: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4QrvlwtBOU

    Myofascial Release is safe, highly effective, and creates the possibility of avoiding medicine and surgery.

 Thanks,

            John

  We’ve had many inquiries regarding how Myofascial Release differs from other forms of massage, bodywork, and energy work.  To learn more about Myofascial Release it may be helpful to view this excerpt from my Fireside Chat DVD that we recently posted on “You Tube’.  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWRuS9xAbMo<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWRuS9xAbMo>).

   In addition to the Fireside Chat excerpt, you can learn more about my theory of Myofascial Release , by clicking on the following link to read the first Therapeutic Insight column. http://www.massagemag.com/News/massage-news.php?id=6745&catid=62&title=therapeutic-insight-the-myofascial-release-perspective 

     I hope all of this helps!

Sincerely,

John

    The work of yours that I have heard about is perking me into a bit of a chat.
My only experience in a myofascial release class was not with you or your group but it was SO painful that I left it feeling unloved and certain that the work was not for me. You speak of things that do interest me, our intuition, water, emotion etc. What is your experience with the Trager Approach?

Virginia

Virginia,

   The Trager Approach is excellent.   Myofascial Release is the “”missing link” in this and other forms of therapy, massage, energy work, and it can significantly increase your effectiveness. 

    I have been teaching Myofascial Release seminars for well over 30 years.  As you may have noticed, “Copy Cat” Myofascial Release courses are popping up and these courses do not teach the same principles or techniques that we do.  They teach what we call the old form of Myofascial that is forceful, mechanical, and very painful and only produces temporary results.    Many of the theories of these courses are based on information that has been obsolete for over 70 years!

   My Myofascial Release principles were developed from my personal experience with pain. My theory of Myofascial Release is explained in detail in my monthly column titled, “Therapeutic Insight”. To learn more, you can click on the following link to read the first Therapeutic Insight column. 

http://www.massagemag.com/News/massage-news.php?id=6745&catid=62&title=therapeutic-insight-the-myofascial-release-perspective

   My approach to Myofascial Release is safe, gentle, and produces consistent results in reducing pain, headaches, and fibromyalgia symptoms.  The goal of the Myofascial Release therapist is to return the individual to a pain free, active lifestyle. 

    Thanks for your comments.

Sincerely,

John

   All of this consternation about the collapsing health-care system is to me no more than a reshuffling of the deck chairs on the Titanic. The Titanic is an inept health-care system based on principles that are more than 300 years old and were proven to be obsolete in 1923 by Max Planck, the founder of the Quantum Theory. Many of the principles taught in medical, dental and therapeutic schools have been proven to be wrong for more than 70 years and yet are still being taught. Medical theory has degraded into the biochemistry of disease, as if we were just mindless bags of chemicals.  A massive amount of recent research supporting our experience with myofascial release has shown that fascial restrictions change the shape of the cell and the viscosity of its surrounding environment, the extra-cellular matrix.

   For more information about the future of health care, you can access John’s new Therapeutic Insight article titled, “The Titanic is going down” at the following link: http://www.massagemag.com/News/massage-news.php?id=8721&catid=62&title=therapeutic-insight-the-myofascial-release-perspectivethe-titanic-is-going-down .

   As always, feel free to ask any questions or add your valuable insights on this topic.

Thanks,

            John

In addition, below is a comment from my friend, “The Cayman Cat,” giving an update on his condition:

Dear John,
Thanks to everyone out there sending me support with their prayers and love and light. It is greatly appreciated. I know I must have written you in the middle of the night and didn’t proof read my work prior to sending it out since my last name lost an “a” in it. So just for the record it’s East, George Lee East, P.T. aka The Cayman Cat, Toast and Breeze. My email address is breeze_east@hotmail.com (that is an underscore between the breeze and east). I really do appreciate hearing from everyone and forgive me if it takes a while to get back with you right away, since I seem to be having a lot of low energy days lately and the pain meds make me feel totally out of it! I personally believe I am going to figure out how to lick this thing since I was just coming into my own as a therapist, energy worker and being able to reframe the consciousness behind the cause of my client’s problems when this happened to me. I would love to hear from the Old Mastery Group and anyone who is into alternative healing techniques, especially remote work. Anyway, The Cayman Cat Lives! I also can’t wait to come out to play again with all of John’s MFR family. I got way too much stuff on my plate to do before packing it up for good. Too much yet to be learned and too much fun yet to be had. So keep me in your prayers in a posititive light and if anyone needs a practice patient, pick me, pick me, pick me! Until then,
Lots of Love & Light,
George Lee East, P.T.
Breeze
The Cayman Cat

http://massagemag.com/massage-blog/myofascial-release/2009/11/22/scars/

We received a couple more comments about scar releases and they are listed below:

1. Submitted on 2009/12/18 at 1:29pm

Dear John,

   I have been dealing with the aftermath of my accident for 14 months now. I have scars from the initial facial surgery and neck fusion. Most recently I have new scars from revision facial surgery. I have a new scar in my naval where they withdrew fat to inject into my lips. Knowing what I know about the fascial web, I was still amaze at how a tiny incision in the naval could cause soreness all the way up to my ribs and down to the pubic bone. I could feel the fingers of tender fascia. I was also aware of the tiny restrictions created in my lip margins from the injections. As tiny as they are, they feel significant. All the scars have had an impact on my entire structure from head to toe and I believe my functional progress has been largely due to receiving MFR throughout the past 14 months. I have specifically requested scar releases as I believe as long as there is a tight scar it will pull any other work out of alignment. I hope the greater medical community will understand the importance of this work (especially scar releases) in achieving improved function.

Thank You
Joanne Richards PT

2. Submitted on 2009/12/18 at 12:47pm

John,

I knew very little about “scar tissue” before attending Intensives and Healing Seminars you offer.

The first week a therapist did a psoas release on my right side of my abdomen near my old appendectomy scar. I would experience pain on my left side ribs, lats, and rhomboid! The fascial connection was obvious.
Later, when being treated intra-orally with a therapist’s finger in my nostril I could “feel” the scar tissue of an old sinus surgery. Then, through my palatine in the roof of my mouth to the scar tissue then down my dural tube through my hips and left knee (scars from surgeries again)and leg to my neuropathic foot. Afterwards, I regained more than 40% of the feeling in my left foot! Fascia is fascinating!

I have avoided multiple neck, spine, and hip surgeries and reversed scoliosis and stenosis today.

I can never thank you enough for your dedication and perseverance in developing your extraordinary form of manual therapy and authentic healing.

Happy Holidays!

Dan

http://www,getwellhealed.com

Much is written about the ‘fight/flight response’ and its impact upon our neuroendocrine system, however the ‘freeze response’ seems to be completely ignored by the vast majority of therapists and other medical practitioners. When this natural response to an overwhelming traumatic event occurs as the instinctual optimal act of survival…and we survive the traumatic event, discharge of this enormous surge of energy within our system is paramount to release the trauma and free our systems to restore homeostasis. Seems this is beginning to become recognized in various therapies, especially bodywork/somatic type approaches. John, your Myofascial Release Approach appears to be one of the few which recognizes how this holding can create tremendous tensions within the entire body. Using Myofascial Release to ease into areas where that instinctual freeze response has become woven into the very tapestry of the entire human form, thus recreating enormous dysfunction…and allowing for discharge of energy as it naturally needs to express itself… is remarkable!
It moves the therapist/patient from the limitations of considering how trauma not only impacts upon the nervous system and allows access to profound healing of the subconscious mind as it shapes and holds our very form.

 As you can read from the above comments and how I mentioned in my blog about scars, do not underestimate even the tiniest scar, because if they are a source of a restriction, they too can cause significant symptoms. 

Thanks.

John

I’m very interested in this previous thread on inflammation. I’ve been reading about chronic inflammation and how many now agree that this process is behind many diseases.

It leads me to wonder if the chronic, systemic inflammation caused by a diet high in processed foods leads to widespread gumming up and restricting of the fascial system, in turn affecting cellular respiration and degeneration.

I usually think of the inflammatory processes that lead to myofascial restrictions as being caused by the primary inflammatory processes associated with injury.

Do you think that the process causing chronic inflammation to manifest disease is born out by changes in the fascial system?

Testing this hypothesis, I turned to Dr. Dean Ornish’s book on reversing heart disease. He talks mostly about poor diet diminishing blood flow to the heart through plaque build-up, etc. I get how fascia is involved in hardening of the arteries but not in plaque build-up.
I know this is only one disease of many to consider.

I’d be very interested if you can offer even more insight than you’ve already offered into the subject of inflammation.

Thanks,

Owen Dodge

Hi Owen,

   Thanks for your question.  I recently had a well known Pathologist from San Francisco as a patient.  He was very disappointed at the resistance of his medical colleagues to his and others new ideas.  For many years as he dissected recently deceased humans, he saw the roughness of the inside of the blood vessels.

   His years of experience and a multitude of recent research has shown that as the fascia on the inside of blood vessels becomes rough and solidified, it can trap the cholesterol. This can cause a thickening and/or blockage within the circulatory system leading to serious consequences.  Fascia has a profound effect on the functioning and health of the entire circulatory and lymphatic systems. 

   You may also want to look at my recent article titled, Therapeutic Insight: The Myofascial Release Perspective—Inner Light.
http://www.massagemag.com/News/massage-news.php?id=8516&catid=62&title=therapeutic-insight-the-myofascial-release-perspectiveinner-light.

         This article discusses how my approach to myofascial release treats the biomechanical aspect but also uses different fluid dynamic principles that address our fluidity, which tends to solidify from trauma or thwarted inflammation processes.  This article also talks about how a Myofascial Release therapist uses their genius by engaging the power of their intuition, instinct, and rational mind.  This total engagement allows the patient to access their wisdom for authentic healing. 

Have a good week.

Sincerely,

John