Recent findings by the First International Fascial Research Congress, held at Harvard Medical School in 2007, verifies what has been taught in John Barnes’ seminars for the last forty years:
The Piezoelectric Effect: It generally takes about four minutes of sustained moderate direct pressure, or stretching until the fascial tissues begin to loosen up. As the fascia ground substance “melts”, through phase change with heat and pressure due to the piezoelectric effect, the fascia elongates and opens up to allow reduced pressure on pain sensitive tissue.
Anti-Inflammatory benefits: Sustaining pressure at the fascial restriction for 3 minutes starts to stimulate interleukin production, a crystalline communication protein essential for healing. At 5 minutes of sustained pressure, interleukin levels double. The result? Free radicals associated with the inflammatory process are neutralized and blood cell production is stimulated. Until now, the only previously known non-chemical anti-inflammatory was soft laser treatment. Through science, we now know that we can elicit anti-inflammatory capabilities from within.
Water is Essential to Healthy Fascia. There is a lot of water surrounding the fascial fibers. This moisture is a vital lubricant in our body, maintaining smooth functioning. Within each muscle, every strand of muscle is encased in fascial tissue. The moist lubricant allows the muscle packets to glide smoothly past each other, as we move.
By Curt Redd, LMT, TheReleaseConnection.com, Pleasant Grove, UT, 480-540-2835
Science and the Medical Community are discovering the importance of "fascia" and "myofascial release". Here is a link to John F. Barnes website with current information.
http://myofascialrelease.com/about/
Additional Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzy8-wQzQMY
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-23062-6