What is myofascial release?

Myofascial release is soft-tissue therapy often used in massage for the treatment of muscle immobility and pain. The focus of myofascial release is on the myofascia, the web of interconnected connective tissue that wraps around and surrounds every muscle, bone, nerve, blood vessel and organ in the body.

The source of myofascial pain is difficult to localize but is thought to originate within trigger points, which are the stiff areas located within the myofascia, according to Mayo Clinic. During a massage session, a myofascial therapist attempts to locate these trigger points and to manipulate them in order to release pressure in those areas for pain relief.