By the time we are in a position where we are facing surgery, we have usually been through months or years of pain and restrictions in our day to day lives. Whilst we are looking forward to surgery and the relief it will hopefully bring, we are often tired and stressed. There may be fears of the surgery, or fear if won’t work in the way we are hoping. All of these factors can lead to heightened pain and our symptoms feeling worse.
How can myofascial release help?
Stress is stored not only in our psyche, but also in the literal tissues of our bodies, namely in the fascia. Stress can be emotional or physical. It can be known or subconscious. The effect tends to be that we are knowingly or unknowingly holding on really tightly, which is hard work! Myofascial release can help to gently and safely release some of this stress, taking some pressure out of the body – and our minds as well!
If we have less stress in the system, our body is more resilient and has more energy available for healing. We find our thinking is less catastrophic and we are able to right size our fears and perhaps bring some awareness back into the positives. Our tissues will be more fluid, thus hopefully reducing recovery time and pain.
By consciously preparing ourselves for surgery, we are in a better place to receive it. We will likely feel more empowered and like we have done the very best we can to support our onward recovery – with a little help from our myofascial release therapists!