Myofascial Release Therapy at Home in Mukund Nagar, Pune

Sitting is hard on the hips. Hours in a chair keep the hip flexors at the front shortened and the glutes at the back switched off, and the tight band of muscle and connective tissue running down the outside of the thigh complains when you finally get up. For people who work seated in and around Mukund Nagar, a stiff pelvis and aching hips are among the quietest, most common complaints.

The myofascial release therapy guide explains the idea in general. Below we look at how it applies to a seated lifestyle and what a home session involves.

What is being released

Fascia is the thin sheet of connective tissue that wraps muscles and links them together. After periods of overuse, immobility or injury, it is thought to become less supple and more tender, although the mechanism is still debated. In myofascial release the physiotherapist applies steady, light-to-moderate pressure, holds it for a minute or more until the tissue seems to soften, and then follows its direction. It is much slower than a standard massage and usually uses no oil.

The areas that tighten from sitting

• Front of the hips. The hip flexors shorten in a seated position, which pulls the lower back into an arch when you stand.
• Buttocks and deep hip rotators. Sitting on a hard chair keeps these muscles compressed, and a tight deep muscle can aggravate the nerve beside it.
• Outer thigh. The tough band down the side of the thigh can be tender and may add to knee-side discomfort.
• Inner thighs and hamstrings. Held short for hours, they limit how far you can bend forward.
• Calves and soles. Often tight after standing on tile in the kitchen, and tied to heel soreness.

A home session, step by step

You wear loose, comfortable clothes and lie on a firm bed or a mattress on the floor. The physiotherapist begins by checking your posture and how freely your hips, spine and legs move, then identifies the tight areas by touch. Pressure is applied to one region at a time, with slow stretches and your own breathing to help it let go. Between holds, your movement is rechecked, so you can feel the difference. The session ends with a stretching and strengthening routine for the hips and trunk, since release without strengthening tends not to last. Where a muscle knot is stubborn, dry needling is sometimes considered as an addition, and manual therapy to the joints may be combined with it.

A short foam roller routine

• Roll the outer and front of the thigh slowly, for a minute on each side, pausing where it is tender but not painful.
• Roll the buttock by sitting on the roller with one ankle on the opposite knee and leaning into the side being worked.
• Roll the calf with the leg straight and the roller beneath it.
• Skip the lower back, knees and any bruised or swollen area.
• Follow with a hip-flexor stretch in a half-kneeling position, holding each side for thirty seconds.

Limits and cautions

Myofascial release is gentle but not for everyone. The physiotherapist avoids pressure over open wounds, skin infections, a leg with a suspected clot, an area of recent surgery or a fresh fracture, and is careful with severe osteoporosis, easy bruising, blood thinners and fever. Deep, painful pressure is not part of it. The research is limited, so benefits should be judged by how you move and feel, and the approach is stopped if it makes no difference.

Sitting less rigidly through the day

• Stand every half hour, even if only to walk to the water point.
• Sit with your hips slightly higher than your knees, using a cushion if the chair is low.
• Avoid sitting with one leg tucked under or crossed for long.
• Do a few bridges or sit-to-stand repetitions at home to wake up the glutes.

Hip pain that needs a doctor

Seek medical advice for hip or thigh pain after a fall, pain with fever or unexplained weight loss, a hot swollen calf, groin pain that stops you bearing weight, or pain with numbness that is spreading. These are not problems for soft-tissue treatment alone.

To begin

Use the booking page to ask for a visit and describe where you feel tight. If you want to know how we serve the neighbourhood, our Mukund Nagar page has the details.