Myofascial rolling and the anatomy of pain
Part 4 of our myofascial release series. Check out the other parts to learn about:
Part 1: what is myofascial release?
Part 2: tools to roll at home
For today's topic, we want to dive into the anatomy of pain. We will explore how myofascial release and rolling can help create anatomical changes in our nervous system that reduce the experience of pain and ease stress.
Anatomy of pain
Pain science continues to evolve and grow. It’s challenging to define pain and how it occurs because feeling pain is a deeply subjective experience.
Pain is the result of an individual brain’s interpretation of signals from the central nervous system. Pain is something that happens in the nervous system, not in the tissues of our muscles. It is not always related to a physical threat, and the state of your nervous system can increase sensitivity and experience of pain.
Many factors, both physical and emotional, can influence pain. Pain is also not relative to time - events in the past or in the present can cause you to experience pain.
How do we even know to feel pain?
Our tissues have little pain receptors called nociceptors that are responsible for responding to changes in the tissue. They are sensitive to chemical, mechanical, and temperature changes in the body. If there are changes in the body's tissues these nociceptors will send pain feedback via the central nervous system to the brain.
Coregeous low back release
Inflammation, for example, would create temperature, tissue, and chemical changes activating the nociceptors. These changes travel to the spinal nerves and, if they’re not not interrupted on their way, head to the brain where the sensation of pain is experienced.
Pain gate theory
This is a widely accepted theory that uses the metaphor of a gate to understand pain.
When the gate is ‘open’, pain signals (or noxious stimuli) travel from the stimuli (say, your finger on a hot stove element) through spinal nerves to the brain where pain is perceived.
When the gate is ‘closed’, the noxious stimuli end at the spinal cord. In a closed gate scenario, another stimuli from the nervous system (such as input from a muscle) closes the spinal cord communication channel. Since the noxious stimuli can’t reach the brain, the sensation of pain is never perceived.
Examples of stimuli that interrupt pain signals include:
Pressure
Positive touch (safe, soothing, predictable)
Light rubbing
This interruption of the signal occurs because pain signals are processed more slowly than touch signals. This means the application of these stimuli can interrupt pain signals closing the gate.
"The longer you have pain, the better your spinal cord gets at producing danger messages to the brain, even if there is no danger in the tissue." —Dr. Lorimer Moseley
An open gate can increase the nervous system’s signals and experience of pain and create a pain personality. Oversensitive or overstimulated nervous systems can produce unnecessary warning signals that create pain. These signals, without interruption, can create a pain-driven feedback system overall increasing your experience of pain.
Myofascial release for pain
We explored in our physiology of myofascial release post how mechanoreceptors stimulated by rolling and static pressure create change in muscle and fascial tissues. This pressure to the tissues helps close overstimulated open gates in your nervous system.
Science is continuing to clarify exactly how MFR helps with pain management. According to a literature review, myofascial release techniques are effective at reducing myofascial pain - pain that results from tightness or adhesions in fascial tissues. Studies have also found that myofascial release was effective in pain reduction in clients with fibromyalgia. One study had clients undergo 20 weeks of treatment and participants showed significant improvement with notable results during and at six months after treatment during retesting.
As our understanding of pain and fascia’s role in the body, we’ll continue to read the studies, adjust our practices and adapt to science’s latest discoveries. In the meantime, if you’d like to learn more about this topic, here are a few resources we’ve found helpful:
Learn to roll and practice myofascial release
Looking to get your own tools of the trade? Contact us to purchase yoga tune up and coregeous balls for free pick up in Kitchener-Waterloo or to get a referral.
MFR can be done in a treatment setting like Registered Massage Therapy with Megan.
Or you can learn to practice MFR techniques at home. Although simple, there’s a system for application to help make sure you don’t push past the capacity of the tissue and nervous system. Learn to roll with with us on our YouTube page or in the following classes:
Strengthen and Stretch for Office Workers (digital course)
Strengthen and Stretch weekly movement and MFR class at Encompass
Learn to Roll workshop coming in person and online soon!
