All of your muscles, bones and joints are covered, separated and organized by fascia – a continuous, connective tissue that is similar to Saran wrap. Fascia connects these separate entities – establishing spatial relationships and holding you together, thereby giving you your individual structure.

However, unlike Saran wrap – which comes in pieces – fascia is more like a continuous fabric covering everything in your body with no identifiable beginning or end. And, because fascia is body-wide, tension or trauma in one part of your body can – and most often does – affect another part.

When healthy, your fascia is like fresh cotton candy – appearing light and airy. However, over time, strain patterns are written into the fascial fabric, causing your fascia to shrink, or become hardened and sticky – similar to old cotton candy.

Some strain patterns are minor, but some, either immediately or over time, produce pain patterns or create significant limitation. These patterns may begin in one locale, or may regularly produce pain in one spot, like the shoulder, knee or low back. However, the strain pattern – because of the distributive nature of the fascial net – is always body-wide.

Through "myofascial spreading" or myofascial release, your therapist can release the adverse effects of inflammation, tension and trauma by carefully spreading apart sections or stretching of superficial fascia with either their palms, fingers, knuckles or the back of their fists. It is a slow, gentle and deep stretching or opening of your body's fascia – combined with your movement and breathing. This creates a heating effect (thixotropy) on the superficial layers of tissue, which allows your therapist to gradually affect deeper tissues.