Exerpt from NASM Corrective Exercise Manual:
Self-Myofascial Release can be used for two primary reasons:
1. To alleviate the side effects of active or latent trigger points
2. Influence the autonomic nervous system
Self-Myofascial Release and Trigger Points
External pressure stimulates receptors located throughout the muscle, fascia and connective tissues of the human movement system to override the dysfunctional yet protective mechanism caused by the cumulative injury cycle. The Golgi tendon organ (GTO) (and/or other Golgi receptors) is one proposed receptor that responds to tension. It has been shown that static tension placed on the musculotendinous unit activates the GTO, which is suggested as producing autogenic inhibition (muscle inhibited by its own receptors). Researchers have also identified interstitial receptors (type III and IV) and Ruffini endings (type II) located throughout the fascia that are specifically responsive to slow, deep, sustained pressure.
Self-Myofascial release is therefore believed to stimulate the aforementioned receptors through sustained pressure at a specific intensity, amount and duration to produce an inhibitory response to the muscle spindle and decrease gamma loop activity. This concept has been supported in a randomized controlled trial study by Hou and colleagues that found ischemic compression (pressure from an object) at a high intensity (max pain tolerance) for a low duration (30 sec) or a low intensity (minimum pain threshold) for a longer duration (90 sec) significantly reduced pain and trigger point sensitivity. Furthermore, when applied in conjunction with stretching techniques it was shown to significantly increase range of motion. The practical significance is that by holding pressure on the tender areas of tissue (trigger point) for a sustained period of time, trigger point activity can be diminished. This will then allow the application of a stretching (or, lengthening) technique such as static stretching to increase muscle extensibility of the shortened muscles to reset the muscle lengths and provide for optimal length-tension relationships.
With optimal length-tension relationships, subsequent use of corrective activation and/or integration strengthening exercises will ensure an increase in intra- and intermuscular coordination, endurance strength and optimal force-couple relationships that will produce proper arthrokinematics. Collectively, these processes enable the human movement system to re-establish neuromuscular efficiency.
Self-Myofascial Release can be used for two primary reasons:
1. To alleviate the side effects of active or latent trigger points
2. Influence the autonomic nervous system
Self-Myofascial Release and Trigger Points
External pressure stimulates receptors located throughout the muscle, fascia and connective tissues of the human movement system to override the dysfunctional yet protective mechanism caused by the cumulative injury cycle. The Golgi tendon organ (GTO) (and/or other Golgi receptors) is one proposed receptor that responds to tension. It has been shown that static tension placed on the musculotendinous unit activates the GTO, which is suggested as producing autogenic inhibition (muscle inhibited by its own receptors). Researchers have also identified interstitial receptors (type III and IV) and Ruffini endings (type II) located throughout the fascia that are specifically responsive to slow, deep, sustained pressure.
Self-Myofascial release is therefore believed to stimulate the aforementioned receptors through sustained pressure at a specific intensity, amount and duration to produce an inhibitory response to the muscle spindle and decrease gamma loop activity. This concept has been supported in a randomized controlled trial study by Hou and colleagues that found ischemic compression (pressure from an object) at a high intensity (max pain tolerance) for a low duration (30 sec) or a low intensity (minimum pain threshold) for a longer duration (90 sec) significantly reduced pain and trigger point sensitivity. Furthermore, when applied in conjunction with stretching techniques it was shown to significantly increase range of motion. The practical significance is that by holding pressure on the tender areas of tissue (trigger point) for a sustained period of time, trigger point activity can be diminished. This will then allow the application of a stretching (or, lengthening) technique such as static stretching to increase muscle extensibility of the shortened muscles to reset the muscle lengths and provide for optimal length-tension relationships.
With optimal length-tension relationships, subsequent use of corrective activation and/or integration strengthening exercises will ensure an increase in intra- and intermuscular coordination, endurance strength and optimal force-couple relationships that will produce proper arthrokinematics. Collectively, these processes enable the human movement system to re-establish neuromuscular efficiency.