The Evolution of Technique

A funny thing happens when you use a modality long enough; technique seems less important. In the beginning, the techniques were everything. How many classes could I take and how many new techniques could I learn? Of course there were plenty of new seminars to fill my needs, each promising more and more. But after a point I realized that the techniques were the easy part of myofascial release. What was the essence of this work was the development of the feel. I’ve written about this feel in the past, as it is the basis of what I do on a daily basis, as well as what I try to give to each therapist that takes one of my seminars.

The feel is making a complete feedback loop. Touching into your patient, sensing an area of tightness that feels like the cause of pain. You then make your patient aware of the area you located and seek their feedback. Confirmation completes the loop. This sounds simple, it sounds like what we all do daily, and for some of us it is. But I believe that there s a deeper awareness that therapists need to hone in themselves before they can fully sense and connect to this feel.

Techniques are easy, we make them up each day, based on situation and need. Moving your hand, direction, or intent ever so slightly can drastically change the effect. Knowing the anatomy is helpful, but not essential. Whether you are a believer of the fascia’s influence on pain or not, the interconnectedness of the body blurs the line between one structure and another. We develop hundreds of variations on what we already know every time we touch and treat a patient. See if you can deepen technique, by honing your feel.

For now,

Walt Fritz, PT