Soft Tissue Release

Presented in a step-by-step format, this book equips readers with the skills needed to effectively deliver this physiotherapy technique to their clients. Describing the passive, active-assisted and active methods of using Soft Tissue Release, this book will be of use to both practising and studying therapists.

Soft Tissue and Trigger Point Release, Second Edition, is a practical guide to understanding and applying soft tissue release (STR), including how it can be used to deactivate trigger points and maximize patient outcomes of treatment and rehabilitation.

Myofascial Release, Second Edition, provides comprehensive training for hands-on therapists of all disciplines and at all levels to expand their practices. This scientifically grounded whole-body approach presents an overview of the entire fascial matrix

Originally published in 1998, Soft Tissue Release: A Practical Handbook for Physical Therapists was the first ever book to be written on soft tissue release and its reputation as one of the most highly respected textbooks on the subject is as strong today as it was then. Now in its fourth edition, this latest version contains the most up to date information on the role of fascia and even more comprehensive anatomical imagery to illustrate the theory and techniques involved.Soft tissue release (STR) is an effective treatment approach designed to be easily integrated by any therapist working with pain, injury and movement dysfunction. Put simply, STR involves a 'lock and stretch' of tissue - but how exactly does it work, what is accepted as 'best practice' in terms of application, and how can it be used alongside other tools and techniques? In this highly practical guide, Mary Sanderson shares a comprehensive range of techniques she has found to be the most beneficial during her own successful career as a physical therapist and lecturer. Detailed chapters present the pre-requisite theory of how STR works, comprehensive advice on the treatment of over 100 individual muscles and specific guidance on how to modify techniques across different settings.Soft Tissue Release: A Practical Handbook for Physical Therapists is a complete reference guide for students embarking on clinical practice, therapists from all backgrounds wanting to understand more about pain management, or any individual wishing to harness the power of soft tissue release to treat their own pain.

For practitioners of massage therapy, sports massage, remedial massage, and physical therapy, soft tissue release is a powerful tool in treating chronic pain conditions such as shoulder impingement, tennis elbow, and iliotibial band friction syndrome. Soft tissue release also aids post-surgical recovery and is used in the treatment of highly trained athletes, dancers, and musicians who wish to tackle those small but key tissue areas needed to maintain and improve their performance. The soft tissues consist of muscle fibers, myofascia, tendons, and ligaments. The all-encompassing nature of this connective tissue is becoming increasingly fascinating to bodywork practitioners of all kinds, including massage therapists, physical therapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, orthopedic nurses and doctors, and sports therapists. Treatment of the soft tissues continues to gain momentum, and there are many exciting research developments that demonstrate how manipulation of these tissues can have profound effects on the structure and function of the musculoskeletal system. Skilled release of the soft tissues reduces the need for adjustments or joint mobilizations, because appropriate release improves joint movement. Freeing the joints and enhancing the health of the soft tissues also facilitates a superior and lasting response to rehabilitation programs. The Soft Tissue Release Handbook is aimed at practicing therapists who wish to address the soft tissues precisely and effectively, whether as an adjunct to existing bodywork techniques or as a treatment modality in itself. The skills presented in this book can be immediately applied in the clinic with existing and new clients. Graphic illustrations of the key muscles involved in movement, as well as over 200 full-color photographs of the technique in action, make this an easy-to-use and practical guide.

Michael Shea, one of the foremost experts on myofascial release, presents straightforward, practical instructions for dramatically releasing pain and restriction of motion in the body's fascia, muscles, and connective tissue. He introduces a soft tissue, hands-on approach for massage therapists, physical therapists, and other healthcare practitioners that reduces tension and stress in their clients' entire myofascial systems, as well as their musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems. Therapists with little or no background in myofascial release and deep tissue reorganization can follow this book's easy guidelines in order to facilitate substantial orthopedic changes and pain reduction in their clients. Illustrated with 70 black and white photos, Myofascial Release Therapy includes an at-a-glance section that provides a step-by-step procedure for quick reference. Each photo is supplemented with instructions, as well as with arrows for easy reference in the clinic. This book provides the first integration of the verbal, visceral, and palpation skills of the therapist. It also includes work on the viscera as a way of integrating soft tissue work through the abdomen and pelvis. While manuals on the bones, muscles, and viscera have previously been divided into separate volumes, this book combines them into one. The author offers specific tools and protocols for helping patients "destructure" past somatic experience and reform it into something healthier. He illuminates the interconnectedness between bodies and their relationships to the outside world, including how sensations, feelings, and emotions are organized in the body and how they are coupled to meaning and memory. The result of many years of experience and knowledge, this book provides compelling evidence that myofascial release therapy encourages more rapid healing response of injured tissue.

Myofascial Release provides comprehensive training for hands-on therapists of all disciplines and at all levels to expand their practice. From technique descriptions and their applications to client interactions and the preservation of practitioner strength and functionality, this guide teaches therapists every crucial aspect of employing myofascial release to its fullest benefit. This scientifically grounded whole-body approach presents an overview of the entire fascial matrix, the three-dimensional web of tissue that supports, encompasses, and protects every other structure in the body. The explanation of the anatomy and function of the connective tissue system gives practitioners the solid background needed for working most effectively with soft tissue to treat muscle injury, immobility, and pain. The book also outlines how myofascial release relates to other massage modalities in the Hands on Guides for Therapists series, ensuring therapists incorporate all of their skills to the greatest effect for their clients. Descriptions of over 60 myofascial techniques contain details on the timing, direction, and hold of each stretch as well as numerous photographs that illustrate the body and hand positions of each technique. Nuanced explanations of the unique feel of soft tissue, including the component of position of ease felt in the fascial drag, enhance the therapist’s palpation skills. The therapist learns how to apply the best approach—cross-hand releases, longitudinal plane releases, compression releases, and transverse plane releases—on specific injuries or issues and how to combine techniques to maximize their effectiveness. The text also contains home programs that clients can use themselves between treatment sessions. Myofascial Release provides an entire therapeutic approach as opposed to just the hands-on application that most books offer. Special features make this resource more effective and efficient for readers: • Full-color photos present a strong visual guide to employing each technique safely. • The photo index reference tool quickly points readers to the desired technique. • Therapist tips provide practical comments on applying the techniques. • Client talk boxes share the author’s experiences and insights on common situations. • Quick Questions at the end of each chapter test readers’ knowledge of material. Finally, the text offers insight on interacting with clients and ensuring their entire therapeutic experience is fulfilling. It covers the client consultation process, checking for contraindications and performing the visual assessment, how the client may respond to the treatment, and what the practitioner and client might feel and see during the process. Readers will come away from Myofascial Release with a holistic understanding of the approach and how to apply the principles to their practice. Myofascial Release is part of the Hands-On Guides for Therapists series, which features specific tools for assessment and treatment that fall well within the realm of massage therapists but may be useful for other body workers, such as osteopaths and fitness instructors. The guides include full-color instructional photographs, Tips sections that aid in adjusting massage techniques, Client Talk boxes that present ideas for creatively applying techniques for various types of clients, and questions for testing knowledge and skill.

Introducing a non-evasive, soft-tissue treatment process called Active Release Techniques, this book addresses the root cause of each repetitive strain injury, explaining which treatments should be avoided, and detailing why alternative forms of therapy should be sought out before acquiescing to surgery.