A Therapist’S Guide to Understanding Myofascial Release: Simple Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

By Cathy Covell

This book is a great resource for anyone in the healthcare profession or anyone who facilities the healing process. It is especially helpful for body workers and therapists. It gives simple answers that can help both therapists and patients with their understanding of the healing process in general, and also helps with more specific questions about myofascial release.

Some of the questions are: what is myofascial release? How is myofascial release different from other techniques? What can myofascial release help with?

The answers given are simple, concise, and will help with an overall understanding of the healing process, which can then allow for faster and more significant results.

Cathy Covell lives what she writes. She is the Speak/Speech. Talks the Speak/Speech. Is the Speak/Speech. Feel your aliveness. Feel how much safer it is to feel your aliveness then to stay numb. Cathy Covell actually shows you how to do this.How to feel human and alive all at the same time. -Mary Ryan

They are all great, must have books ! -Dan Betz

Cathy's book has been vital to my healing journey. I have received Myofacial Release Therapy (MFR) for many years that has greatly benefited my health and kept me from disability retirement in my early 40's. Nevertheless, it was not until Cathy started writing her books explaining what Myofascial Release Therapy is in an honest, clear and fun way, that I started understanding the treatment and my role in the process. Since then my health has improved at a faster pace, the benefits of treatment at the clinic, or self treatment, are much greater than before, and the results are long lasting. Anyone receiving Myofascial Release Treatments will definitely benefit from reading Cathy's book, "Feeling Your Way Through" and "A Patient's Guide to Understanding Myofascial Release: Simple Answers to Frequently Asked Questions." -Mercedes Reaves

We have been buying Cathy's books for a few years to sell here in the UK as they are a fantastic resource for both therapists and clients offering a wisdom of information and wealth of practical understanding to the John F Barnes approach to myofascial release. I would recommend these books to anyone interested in myofascial release as a therapy for pain and discomfort or as an adjunct to their learning experience from attending seminars. Cathy writes with both passion for the work as well as from her skill and expertise through her years of dedication to the approach, great books Cathy!! -Ruth Duncan

Cathy does a wonderful job of conveying principles of myofascial release with books that are clear and profound. She does a great job of answering many of the questions that therapists and patients often have, and sharing great insights from her vast well of wisdom and experience. - Mary Winslow

Cathy Covell's books are fantastic! She has a gift for brilliantly conveying information and wisdom in an easily digestible fashion. Her books have helped me as a therapist and as a patient. I give all of my new patients one of her books at their first visit at my wellness center. Bravo, Cathy! - Phil Tavolacci

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Jan 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9781452589626

Cathy Covell

Not only is Cathy a physical therapist, but she is also someone who suffered from debilitating chronic pain for years. This is what led her to trying myofasical release as a treatment option. Once she realized that myofascial release was the missing piece that was able to help with her overall healing, she began taking the classes offered by John F. Barnes, PT. She quickly realized that this technique was extremely effective. And that by learning this technique she would not only be able to help herself, but also help her clients. Cathy had the opportunity to work at one of John’s treatment centers for over two years which has helped her become an expert in the field of myofascial release. This book is a compilation of simple answers to the questions that are most frequently asked by patients and therapists. It is a very valuable tool in the healing process.

Book preview

Copyright © 2008, 2014 Cathy Covell.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Balboa Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

Balboa Press

A Division of Hay House

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.balboapress.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4525-8961-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4525-8962-6 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 01/02/2014

Contents

Special Thanks!!

About This Edition

Foreword

Introduction

My background with JFB-MFR

Chapter

1. What is JFB-MFR?

2. How is JFB-MFR different from other forms of therapy?

3. Can JFB-MFR help with…?

4. Will JFB-MFR overstretch the tissue?

5. Why would I treat somewhere other than where the symptoms are located?

6. What if the patient’s symptoms get worse?

7. What happens when the patient’s original symptoms improve, but new symptoms appear elsewhere?

8. Why does the patient feel sensations in an area other than the one I am treating?

9. How do I help patients feel under the pain?

10. How do I help patients increase awareness?

11. Why do I sometimes feel the same symptoms the patient is feeling?

12. How do I help the patient who has the need to figure it out?

13. What if the patient has a flare up?

14. What if the patient has leveled out?

15. Why are emotions coming up?

16. Why does the patient need to feel the emotions that come up?

17. What if the patient doesn’t want to feel or remember that again?

18. Why is the patient’s body moving?

19. How do I dialogue?

20. Can patients treat themselves?

21. Will the patient need to do this forever?

22. What about diet and supplements and JFBMFR?

23. What about exercising?

24. Can JFBMFR help prevent surgery?

25. Should I allow family members or friends in the treatment room?

26. Why does John say, Don’t have a treatment plan.?

27. How do I become a better therapist?

Afterword

Special Thanks!!

First and foremost thanks to John F. Barnes, PT! If it weren’t for you, none of this would be possible. There aren’t enough words to express everything you have done for me by being strong enough to follow your intuition. Thanks for your love and your guidance.

Thanks to Valerie McGraw and Carol Bannister for your support with this book. Carol, thanks for helping me when I couldn’t quite put what I was thinking into writing. Val, thanks for your endless supply of faith in my ability and for your support during the times I hit the stumbling blocks. You were a rock during the storms.

Thanks to Sandy Hilton for being a sounding board, an editor, and a resource into the world of publishing. Thanks also to Dave and Jan Frederick. I really appreciate all the help.

Thanks to Donna Killion for your compassion and support during my healing process. You’ve helped me more than you know.

And a big thanks to all the people in the John F. Barnes’ Myofascial Release (JFBMFR) community who encouraged me to put my MFR chat posts together in one book.

About This Edition

This edition of A Therapist’s Guide to Understanding Myofascial Release contains updated information, rewritten material, and corrections to copy errors in the previous edition. I worked closely with Joe Miller, LCMT, in producing this edition. Joe suggested manuscript and copy edits to the original edition of this book; I accepted the ones I felt maintained my original meaning and tone.

Joe brought a special combination of abilities to the editing of this edition. A licensed, nationallycertified massage therapist practicing JFB-MFR exclusively, Joe began his journey with JFBMFR at the Healing Seminar in 2002. He has practiced JFB-MFR exclusively since 2004.

Before becoming a massage therapist in order to practice JFB-MFR, Joe spent over 25 years as a professional writer, editor, and business and technical consultant to companies in the United States and Europe. His knowledge of writing and editing, of JFBMFR, and of collaborative work methods helped me make significant improvements in this new edition.

Joe practices JFBMFR in the Chicago area. He also continues to write, edit, and provide language translation services to clients. You can reach Joe at [e-mail].

Foreword

John F. Barnes’ Myofascial Release is the ultimate therapeutic art. Therapists and patients first learn the work on a structural level. As they progress in treatment, they find great depth to the JFBMFR approach. As skills and senses sharpen, the therapist and patient become aware of physical, emotional, mental, and energetic levels. It is at these levels that true healing can occur, creating large shifts in overall health. The best results are seen with those who have had the courage to delve deeply into their own healing possibilities and to take leaps out of their comfort zone.

Cathy Covell is one of those therapists who have dared to explore the possibilities of healing. She has come through her own pain to find