What to expect in a session of Myofascial Bodywork

Consultation
A session of Myofascial Bodywork starts with discussion - I find out as much as I can about what has brought you to see me today, how it affects you, what else you have tried - the more information you can provide, the better. 

Assessment
After this we usually move on to assessment. This is where I get to look at your presenting complaint in a little more anatomical and bio-mechanical detail, but it is not just limited to your main issue or symptom - as we are looking for the underlying causes, we will need to look ideally at the whole of you. I'm trained to a high level in Sports Massage and have done a lot of postgraduate advanced workshops in posture and assessment, plus of course I am a student at the British School of Osteopathy, so hopefully you will see that my observations skills when it comes to postural assessment at a detailed level are pretty good. 

Treatment
Treatment can take many different forms, depending on what we have determined is causing your issue, and thus what we need to do to help remedy the problem(s). This can range from oil-based massage based treatment to non-oil based soft tissue mobilisation and myofascial release, plus joint articulations and mobilisations, therapeutic stretching, and even medical acupuncture (and kinesio taping coming soon!). 

Dress
Expect to be undressed during a session, down to your underwear. If you are not comfortable being observed or treated in your underwear, you can wear shorts instead, but preferably a normal bra (ladies) instead of a sports bra, which tends to be a bit limiting as the back can't be unclasped while you are on the table face down and we need access to your thoracics or get behind your scapulae. Also, the less you wear, the more I can see when assessing your posture, gait and range/quality of movement. 

Positions
I move my patients about a lot! This enables me to apply different techniques in different planes, which therefore have different effects. I can often start with some chair based techniques, or have you lying on the table facing up. Sometimes, I may need you to lie on your side, and sometimes lying face down. Whichever position(s) you need to be placed in, I make sure you are comfortable and secure with pillows for support. 

Techniques
The main techniques I use are Sports Massage techniques and Myofascial Release. 

Myofascial Release is always applied skin on skin, without oil. With this technique, we are looking to release restrictions in your fascial system, which may be a cause of pain or dysfunction systemically as well as locally. More details on Myofascial Release can be found on my website www.myofascial-bodywork.com. 

There are many Sports Massage techniques that are non-oil based, which complement sessions of Myofascial Release well - these include Soft Tissue Release, Muscle Energy Techniques, Position Release/Strain Counterstrain - plus some extra mobilisations and joint articulations from further postgraduate training I have done. 

I tend to combine all of my different techniques into my signature treatment approach, and this I call Myofascial Bodywork. It is very normal for many sessions of Myofascial Bodywork to be 100% non-oil based, so although I am a Sports Massage therapist and can Deep Tissue with the very best of them, I think you can see that I am also so much more - and I don't generally consider myself a Massage Therapist these days, not even a Clinical one, as that does not really portray the wide range of treatment and techniques that I provide, nor, in reality, the treatment that you are likely to get if you come to see me.