WOMENS HEALTH
THE JOHN F. BARNES METHOD OF MYOFASCIAL RELEASE
by John F. Barnes, P.T.
The word pelvis originates from Latin meaning basin. What is the function of a basin? It holds fluid. You and I are more than 70-percent fluid.
Trauma and inflammatory responses tend to dehydrate the ground substance of the fascial system and ultimately cause symptoms. Restrictions or imbalances in the "fascial pelvis" can create problems locally and throughout the entire mind-body complex. My experience has shown that more than 90 percent of my clients suffering with lumbar and pelvic pain, headaches or fibromyalgia have myofascial restrictions and imbalances in the pelvis.
Gender differences
Men often struggle with pelvic, lumbosacral and sacroiliac pain and tightness usually initiated by falls, athletic injuries and other various traumas. The prostate gland consists of two small, fluid-filled sacs. Internal pelvic fascial restrictions can solidify this area and lead to prostate dysfunction.
Women tend to have more problems in the pelvic region due to the uniqueness of the anatomy and function of their pelvis. The female pelvis is broader and therefore more easily torqued. The joint surfaces of the female are flatter, therefore more easily moved or sheared during micro or major trauma.
Myofascial release is utilized for the treatment of menstrual pain or dysfunction, back and pelvic pain, endometriosis and other inflammatory disorders. It can successfully address unpleasant or painful symptoms during pregnancy and childbirth, recurrent bladder pain and infection, painful intercourse, sexual
dysfunction, elimination problems, coccygeal pain and painful episiotomy scars. These problems can, in many cases, be substantially alleviated or eliminated non traumatically and gently-by myofascial release.
Every month when a woman undergoes her menstrual period, relaxin is poured into her system, slackening the ligamentous structures and making her more prone to trauma. Myofascial release has helped many women with menstrual and premenstrual-syndrome symptoms. Just picture the fascia tightening like a powerful three-dimensional net around the pelvic structures. Then when the woman begins to bloat as her menstrual cycle begins, the combination of fascial tightness and increasing internal pressure begins to exert heavy pressure on the nerves, blood vessels, etc., and the cramps begin, the back tightens and all other unpleasant effects are a reaction to the abnormal internal pressure.
Fascia surrounds and infuses with every organ, duct, nerve, blood vessel, muscle and bone of the pelvic cavity. Fascia has the propensity to tighten after trauma, inflammatory processes, poor posture or childbirth. Fascia has a tensile strength of more than 2,000 pounds per square inch.
In other words, fascial restrictions have the potential of exerting enormous pressure on pain-sensitive structures, producing pain or malfunction of the
important pelvic structures. Certainly not all problems have a fascial origin, but restrictions of the fascia are the cause of many problems in a surprisingly high percentage of cases, especially when all the tests turn out negative and medication only helps temporarily or surgery does not change the situation.
For example, inflammatory processes, such as endometriosis, can cause the fascial layers to adhere to adjoining tissues, creating painful symptoms. Many times the fascial tissues will adhere around the bladder and urethral areas, creating an environment for infection, since fascial restrictions impede proper elimination of toxins and waste products from the tissues.
If the fascia tightens around the bladder, it can limit the bladder's potential to enlarge sufficiently, creating the need to urinate frequently, or painful urination. When a woman coughs, sneezes or laughs, urine will tend to seep out since there is no give to the bladder.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Web site lists the following facts regarding incontinence:
• Thirteen million Americans are incontinent, 11 million of whom are women
• One in four women age 30 to 59 have experienced an episode of
urinary tract infection
• Fifty percent or more of elderly persons living at home or in long-term care facilities are incontinent
• $16.4 billion is spent every year on incontinence-related care; $11.2 billion for
community-based programs and at home, and $5.2 billion in long-term care facilities
• $1.1 billion is spent every year on disposable products for adults
Scars from abdominal or pelvic surgery, trauma or episiotomy scars can also create havoc in the pelvic area, causing menstrual dysfunction, pelvic pain, painful intercourse, constipation, diarrhea or hemorrhoids. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National Women's Health Information Center reports 600,000 hysterectomies are performed per year in the U.S. In my opinion, oftentimes this procedure is unnecessary.