beyond
Muscle Work & Myofascial Therapies
give your muscles a break.
Our bodies are made up of layers upon layers of muscle and fascia. Myo = muscle, and fascia = a network of connective tissue that surrounds our muscles, our organs, and helps hold our soft tissues together. Injuries to our soft tissues can come from obvious incidents like a surgery, sprain, or strain. But more often, we see “overuse injuries” from every-day tasks like typing, walking, and many more. Think carpal tunnel syndrome, TMJ dysfunction, and plantar fasciitis to name a few.
These injuries create scar tissue or “adhesions” that are within or between layers of muscle and can create dysfunctional movement and pain. Myofascial therapies are designed to break up these adhesions to relieve pain and increase range of motion. Beyond offers various forms of myofascial therapies to help give your muscles the break they need.
Myofascial Therapies
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Manual Muscle Work
With Manual Muscle Work your provider will perform a goal-focused deep tissue massage including active movement from you. We use focused pressure on the adhesion and then move the muscles to help break the scar up.
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Cupping
There are two big benefits from cupping: (1) loosening the muscles and fascia to allow for better range of motion and better function, and (2) bringing toxins to the surface to allow your lymphatic system to move them out of your body.
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Gua Sha
Gua Sha or ”scraping” uses a blunt-edged tool against the surface of the skin. We use a set of natural stones and a lubricant like coconut oil to protect the skin and allow our tool to glide smoothly. Your provider will find, assess, and apply specific strokes of pressure to break up the adhesions within your soft tissues.
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Dry Needling
Dry needling is a Western take on one of the uses of acupuncture. We use sterile, single-use acupuncture needles to break up knots and bring healing energy to the soft tissues. This is especially helpful for the muscles of the upper shoulders and neck, where so many of us hold our tension.
