Technique of the Month Results: July 2020

Check out the RESULTS from the July 2020 Technique of the Month! We reviewed a technique classified by the demonstrator as Myofascial Release.

What were respondents’ choices to classify the demonstrated technique?

  • More respondents indicated Soft Tissue or Progressive Inhibition of Neuromuscular Structures (19/47, 40%) than Myofascial Release (11/47, 23%) as their first choice for categorizing this technique.
  • Equal numbers of respondents listed Myofascial Release or Soft Tissue or Progressive Inhibition of Neuromuscular Structures (31/47, 66%) as one of their first 3 choices.

What did respondents say when they learned the technique demonstrator classified the technique as Myofascial Release?

(*Note: The survey incorrectly asked people who selected Myofascial Release as one of their first 3 choices to tell us why they selected something other than Myofascial Release. Sorry about the confusion!)

  • Respondents who Agreed with the Classification of the Demonstrated Technique (Myofascial Release was one of their 3 choices)*
    • It looked like she was looking for a direction of ease which I associate with functional technique.
    • The stretching and deep tissue work on sterno-cleido-mastoid muscle.
    • I saw the and heard the explanations which led me to Myofascial Release.
    • When I do MFR, I hold one point fixed and move the other away, following the tension release.  This technique was more dynamic than what I was taught.
    • Resembled massage/soft tissue more than my understanding of MFR. Mention of position of less tension suggested indirect method.
    • MFR was my first choice. Other options were included because: tension was on the right, the loss of rotation and coupled side bending were to the right. There were combined processes of indirect positioning, inhibition, stretching, and movement away and towards the barrier. It was not a single sequence of movement with indirect followed by direct (Still technique) nor the specific sequencing involved in PINS. But, inhibition was used, and it was not solely MFR.
    • My first choice was MFR. Next was soft tissue because she massaged the muscle, and then indirect because she also shortened the muscle at times.
    • I was watching her hands.
    • Release of a strain in the SCM.
    • Ligamentous tension, balance
    • The definition of Soft Tissue technique included linear stretching, which it appeared was taking place.  The description for Myofascial Release was brief and also broad (although it was my 2nd guess) so it was hard to decide between the two.
  • Respondents who Disagreed with Classification of the Demonstrated Technique (Myofascial Release was not one of their 3 choices)
    • I saw a soft tissue technique. Very well done. Direct lateral and linear stretching, separation of muscle origin and insertion (I think she also choose approximation). She was monitoring tissue response and motion changes.
    • O que eu ouvi não me pareceu apenas uma técnica miofascial, pois ocorreram movimento de deslizamento na direção das fibras, mas também ocorreram movimento de tração transversal do tecido. (from Google Translate: What I heard didn’t just seem like a myofascial technique, because there was a sliding movement in the direction of the fibers, but there was also a transverse traction movement of the tissue.)
    • stretching, much movement
    • The precise compression and decompression of the neck vertebrae as they are stacked one on top of each other is also a form of FPR.

Did you miss your chance to review the July 2020 Technique of the Month video? Check it out and see whether you agree that the technique demonstrated falls into the category of Myofascial Release.

Our thanks to Marina Fuhrmann, MSc, DO®, for demonstrating this Technique of the Month and to our volunteer patient, Zane Starks!

What do you think about the classification of this demonstrated technique as Myofascial Release? Let’s talk about this below!

Leave a Reply