Scottsdale Health August 2019

THE EFFECTIVE
MEDICAL MASSAGE:
MYOFASCIAL THERAPY
Dr. Bryan Geier talks a new
treatment for pain management
Wouldn’t it be great if you could treat the
majority of all pain related symptoms with a
non-invasive approach? Now, you can. As a
Chiropractor, my education and training was
focused on relieving pain by influencing the
nervous system through the use of spinal
manipulation. However, in my practice I intently
focus on the myo, which is the Latin term for
muscles and connective tissue called fascia.
Here in lies the term Myofascial therapy. When
treating pain, I chose to focus on the myofascia
of the body because this is the most important
component to influencing the Central Nervous
System to decrease pain, specifically honing in
on treating this pain by taking an alternative,
non-invasive approach. Unfortunately,
myofascial therapy receives little attention as
a major source of pain and is seldom taught
in modern medical school training. Even
more unfortunate is the lack of insurance
reimbursement for this important therapy. So,
let’s dig into the topic a little deeper.
running through, around and crisscrossing
every inch of your body including muscle,
organs, blood vessels, nerves, spinal cord,
brain and skin. The central nervous system
receives its greatest amount of sensory nerves
from myofascial tissue. This means that the
fascia is as important or more important than
muscle in sensory input delivery. The key to
this statement is that your myofascia becomes
the byproduct of your environment without
you even realizing it. It experiences stress,
memorizes chronic poor posture, feels the
weight of your head sitting at the computer all
day, and permanently holds onto old untreated
injuries. As a result of never ending signaling to
the brain, the body develops symptoms like pain
and endocrine dysfunction like adrenal fatigue,
dysfunctional mood and brain fog, to name a
few. If the fascia controls the information that
can influence the brain, then this is the first
step to calming down the body’s pain response
and also improving overall global body function.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND PAIN AND MYOFASCIA
The muscular system is the largest sensory
organ. Approximately 50 percent of your
body weight is made up of about 400 skeletal
muscles. Your fascia is actually one giant
interconnected web of connective tissue
WHAT IS MYOFASCIAL THERAPY?
It is a deep tissue treatment involving the
breakdown of fascial adhesions known as
trigger points. These trigger points ultimately
create a permanently shortened muscle,
resulting in pain and muscle dysfunction
and, in turn, weakness and uncoordinated
movements. Myofascial therapy can be
performed in many ways including by a
practitioner’s hands, using tools that break
down adhesions and stretching. This therapy
proves to be a very efficient and effective
therapy for pain management, improving
athletic performance and reducing cellulite.
HOW DOES HEALTHY FASCIA BECOME
UNHEALTHY FASCIA?
This happens when extra layers of fascia grow
due to stress, trauma, repetitive motions,
dehydration and inflammation. Inflammation
comes from repetitive working out or even
eating inflammatory foods such as (but not
limited to) sugar, fried food, certain oils and
processed wheat.
COMMON INJURIES RELATED TO
MYOFASCIAL TRIGGER POINTS
• Pain or stiffness in your neck, mid- or lowback
• Headaches or jaw pain
• Sciatica and other nerve related symptoms
like numbness and tingling
• Tendonitis, Bursitis and Plantar Fasciitis
• Joint pain especially in your shoulder, knee
or wrist
• Generalized dull, achy pain
• Athletic performance issues
CALL 480.800.4924 AND MENTION
SCOTTSDALE HEALTH MAGAZINE TO
RECEIVE 20 PERCENT OFF A PACKAGE
OF THREE VISITS, EQUALING $179.
Dr. Geier is located inside Jewish Community
Center (JCC). A JCC membership is not required
to be treated. Sign up to see Dr. Geier and also
receive a one week pass to the JCC!