JB Myofascial Release (MFR) Therapy: Rediscover a Pain-Free Lifestyle

Experience Lasting Relief with the John Barnes Approach to Myofascial Release – Healing from the Inside

 
 
 
 
 
 

The Transformative Power of Myofascial Release

The John Barnes Approach to Myofascial Release (MFR) is a renowned therapeutic technique that delivers long-lasting results by addressing the root causes of pain and dysfunction. Through skilled hands, this gentle and safe therapy releases myofascial restrictions caused by trauma, inflammation, or surgical procedures, creating profound and positive changes in your body.

At Hands On HealthCare Massage Therapy, we are proud to offer the same world-class MFR therapy used by prestigious facilities such as the Hospital for Special SurgeryJohn T. Mather Hospital, and other leading practices worldwide. Searching for “Myofascial Release near me” has brought you to us, conveniently located in Commack, Long Island, making this transformative therapy accessible to your community.

Why Choose Myofascial Release?
  1. Comprehensive Relief: This whole-body approach targets the fascia, a connective tissue system that supports and protects your entire body.
  2. Safe and Effective: Gentle, sustained pressure releases restrictions without force, improving mobility and reducing pain.
  3. Mind-Body Healing: MFR often fosters a deeper connection between physical and emotional well-being, promoting holistic recovery.

Looking for the best care for conditions like chronic pain, stiffness, or post-surgical recovery? Contact us today and let us guide you on your path to healing.

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The Hands On Difference

At Hands On HealthCare Massage Therapy, our therapists are trained directly in John Barnes Myofascial Release techniques. With years of experience and ongoing education, we ensure the highest level of care and expertise.

We proudly serve Commack, Long Island, and the surrounding areas, including Suffolk County. Whether you’re managing chronic pain, recovering from surgery, or seeking improved mobility, you’ll find trusted care and lasting results here.

What is Fascia?

Fascia is a remarkable, three-dimensional web of connective tissue that envelops and supports every muscle, bone, nerve, organ, and blood vessel in your body—down to the cellular level. Composed of elastin, collagen, and a fluid ground substance, fascia plays a critical role in maintaining structural integrity, flexibility, and movement.

Common Causes of Fascia Restrictions:
  • Trauma or injury: Physical damage can harden fascia, leading to pain.
  • Poor posture: Long-term misalignment stresses the fascia.
  • Surgical procedures: Scar tissue can restrict fascia mobility.
  • Chronic inflammation: Prolonged swelling creates rigidity.
  • Disease: Certain conditions directly impact fascia health.

When fascia becomes restricted, it can lead to pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion, emphasizing the importance of maintaining fascia health for overall well-being.

Myofascial Release (MFR) focuses on gently releasing fascia restrictions to target the root cause of pain and dysfunction. This advanced technique offers profound benefits, including:

  • Alleviating chronic pain: Effective relief for persistent discomfort.
  • Improving mobility: Restore flexibility and ease of movement.
  • Restoring balance and function: Realign the body for optimal performance.
  • Promoting long-term healing: Encourage sustained recovery.

Using light, sustained pressure, MFR allows the fascia to disengage and return to its natural state, creating positive, lasting changes in the body.

Book Your Session in Commack, Long Island

Ready to feel the difference? Experience expert care with Hands On HealthCare Massage Therapy in Commack, Long Island. Reach out today and let us guide you toward better health.

Explore more about the various massage techniques and therapies that can benefit your health:

A detailed visualization of fascia, the connective tissue network, featured by Hands On HealthCare Massage Therapy in Commack, Long Island.

Symptomatic Relief and Conditions Commonly Treated with MFR

The Hands On HealthCare Massage Therapy staff with John Barnes, the founder of Myofascial Release, in Commack, Long Island.

John Barnes Myofascial Release (JB MFR)

John Barnes Myofascial Release (JB MFR) is a specialized and transformative form of Myofascial Release Therapy. Renowned for its gentle, hands-on approach, JB MFR focuses on sustained pressure to address and release restrictions in the fascia, delivering profound and lasting relief.

How JB MFR Works:
  • Gentle, Sustained Pressure: Therapists apply consistent pressure to the fascia and underlying tissues, allowing for a gradual release of restrictions.
  • Whole-Body Impact: Fascia is interconnected throughout the body. Releasing tension in one area often impacts distant regions, addressing root causes rather than just surface symptoms.
  • Therapist’s Role: Skilled therapists identify areas of “drag” or tension within the fascial system and work to release multiple barriers. This restores tissue pliability and enhances functionality.
  • Pain Relief: Targets chronic pain by addressing its root causes.
  • Improved Functionality: Restores movement and ease in restricted areas.
  • Enhanced Mobility: Facilitates a freer range of motion by softening and lengthening fascia.

Unlike traditional massage therapies that focus solely on surface symptoms, JB MFR takes a holistic, systemic approach to healing, making it one of the most advanced techniques available.

 

Experience the difference JB MFR can make for your body and mind. Conveniently located in Commack, Long Island, our skilled therapists are here to guide you toward better health and well-being.

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The therapist’s primary goal is not to force change but to facilitate subtle, effective releases in the fascia. Key aspects include:

  • Using sustained pressure to allow tissues to soften and barriers to release
  • Treating the body as a connected whole—everything is interrelated
  • Identifying restrictions (“drag”) that may be the root of pain or dysfunction

As John Barnes’ philosophy reminds us, “less is more,” emphasizing the importance of precision over force.

Learn more about MFR and John Barnes at MyofascialRelease.com.

Your Session

Sessions are generally 55 – 60 minutes. “Intensive Day” Sessions are 50 minutes

  • Before
  • During
  • After

Clients need to wear a 2-piece bathing suit or sports bra, or shorts and a tank top. Please do not have on any lotion, perfume or cologne.

The session will take place over (not under) a sheet, so that the therapist can note your body’s response to treatment

A postural analysis will be done and may be the deciding factor on where to begin treatment. You may feel like stretching or moving (un-winding) which is normal and encouraged. As the tissue lets go, very often an issue, physical and or emotional, will release as well.

You will often feel sensations (the fascial voice) in other areas. The fascial voice may be heard as discomfort in a different area, a bubbling sensation, heat, cold etc. Please inform the therapist. Communication is the key to success

Progress will continue after the session; the fascia will continue to release hours to days after the sessions.

Please make sure to read the Home Care Instructions that will be emailed to you when you make your first appointment /orientation.

Exclusive Introductory Myofascial Release Package

This three-session package is perfect for those starting their Myofascial Release (MFR) healing journey. Carefully designed to introduce you to the transformative benefits of MFR, it includes three hours of personalized Myofascial Release sessions. Start your path to improved mobility and pain relief today with this highly recommended introductory package.

Standard Pricing (Following Introductory Package)
PRICE DURATION
$80 30 minutes
$110 45 minutes
$120 50 minutes
$135 60 minutes
$165 75 minutes
$195 90 minutes
$250 120 minutes
A therapist performing a myofascial release session on a client at Hands On HealthCare Massage Therapy in Commack, Long Island.
A pulled sweater illustrating the tension and imbalance caused by fascial restrictions, featured at Hands On HealthCare Massage Therapy in Commack, Long Island.

MFR Orientation

Important: Please Read Before Your Orientation

To ensure our time together is focused on your specific care, we kindly ask you to read through this information thoroughly before your appointment. Clients who come well-prepared tend to see the best results from their sessions. Taking the time to review this not only benefits you but helps me provide the most effective care possible.

Additionally, the accompanying videos offer a valuable visual learning experience and are an integral part of understanding Myofascial Release (MFR). Your time spent watching them is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Warm regards,
Marla, Jeremy, Jolie and Jody

Understanding Your MFR Journey

Fascia encases every cell in the body and does much more than help maintain our shape. Research reveals that fascia is involved in every motion we make. Unlike muscles, fascia can move independently and possesses powerful sensory capabilities, responding dynamically to stress.

The Role of Feedback
During your session, it’s essential to communicate with your therapist. Bracing against discomfort can be counterproductive, so please let us know if your discomfort exceeds a level 7 on a 1–10 scale. Fascia restrictions can cause a wide range of symptoms beyond muscle aches, so note how your body feels throughout your treatment and ongoing Myofascial Release (MFR) sessions.

The Fascial Connection
Fascia also forms tendons and ligaments, creating a network of interconnected tissues. Consider the Latissimus Dorsi muscle, which spans from the ribs to the pelvis, wraps around the back, and inserts into the arm. This interconnectedness explains why back issues can cause arm pain or how fascia restrictions in one area can affect another.

MFR vs. Medical Massage
Unlike medical massage, which focuses on specific areas, MFR is a full-body treatment. For example, addressing pain in your back isn’t about treating the symptom alone but finding and releasing the root cause. MFR is an interactive process, requiring feedback and a therapeutic connection between client and therapist. This shared journey often feels like a dance, with the “fascial voice” guiding the session.

Hearing the Fascial Voice
During MFR, you might “hear” the fascial voice in various ways:

  • Deep stretching
  • Sensations in unrelated areas
  • Pain, discomfort, burning, or tingling
  • Bubbling, agitation, or emotional responses
  • Twitching, sweating, shivering, or a desire to stretch

If you don’t notice these sensations, inform your therapist. They may adjust the session accordingly.

Vasomotor Response
A key goal in MFR is to elicit a vasomotor response—when a restricted area turns red due to improved circulation. This happens as fascial fibers separate and the ground substance returns to a fluid state. To facilitate this, please wear shorts and a small top or sports bra during your session.

Consistency Matters
Unlike medical massage, MFR works best with frequent sessions to break habitual holding and bracing patterns in the fascial network. Regular sessions promote lasting relief and progress.

What to Expect Post-Treatment
Please review the article on Home Care for tips on how to support your treatment.

How Many Sessions Will I Need?
The time required varies by individual, as it takes effort to “soften a lifetime of fossilized tissue.” Many clients notice a difference within 1–3 sessions.

We encourage you to ask questions or share concerns at any point. Thank you for trusting us to be part of your healing journey. Good luck with MFR!

After Care / Home Care Instructions

Home Care Guide for Myofascial Release

1. Myofascial Stretches
  • Perform 2–3 myofascial stretches between treatments (these may be introduced during your 2nd or 3rd session).
  • Hold each stretch for at least 90 seconds to 5 minutes or more.
  • Focus on quality over quantity: one deep, effective stretch is better than several shallow ones that don’t fully release the fascia.
  • Incorporate body awareness into your daily routine with tools like music, books, guided meditation, or your workout.
  • Observe how your body feels and responds to movement and stillness.
  • Pay attention to activities or positions that may exacerbate your pain, such as:
    • Resting your elbow on a car window.
    • Sitting for extended periods at a computer.
    • Sleeping on the same side consistently.
  • Becoming aware of these stress factors is the first step to addressing them.
  • Track improvements such as:
    • Better sleep.
    • Improved diet or mood.
    • Relief from constipation or heartburn.
  • MFR can release restrictions throughout the body, even at the cellular level, positively affecting nerves, blood vessels, muscles, and more.
  • Attend any additional therapies recommended or required to support your overall healing.
  • Hydration is crucial for maximizing the effects of MFR. Make it a priority to drink plenty of water daily.

By following these steps, you can deepen the benefits of your MFR journey and support your body’s natural healing process.

A detailed visualization of fascia, the connective tissue network, featured by Hands On HealthCare Massage Therapy in Commack, Long Island.
A therapist performing Myofascial Release therapy during a session at Hands On HealthCare Massage Therapy in Commack, Long Island.

Things to Know After Your Session

t’s important to understand that some individuals may experience what is commonly referred to as a “healing crisis” after a session. While unlikely, it is possible to feel sore, achy, or uncomfortable in your own skin following treatment. This discomfort, known as therapeutic pain, is not injurious but rather an indication that your body has responded to the treatment—and that’s exactly what we aim for.

This response may not occur after every session but is more common at the beginning of treatment or when accessing deeper restrictions and tight areas. In addition to physical discomfort, it is not uncommon to feel agitated or notice seemingly unrelated symptoms.

We strongly advise against masking these sensations with painkillers, hot baths, or similar remedies. The symptoms need to naturally work through your system as part of your body’s massive cellular reorganization. While this process can feel unsettling or even uncomfortable, it is a necessary step on the path to healing.

If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to call our office. Remember, you may feel worse before you feel better—often described as the storm before the calm. This is the healing crisis, or Healing Response, in action. For additional insights, we recommend reading What’s In Your Web by Phil Tavolacci, particularly Chapter 9, where he provides an excellent explanation of the Healing Response.

The number of sessions that one would need is very individual. Everyone responds differently to MFR. Many feel changes in symptoms after a couple of sessions while others require a number of treatments to achieve their state of well-being. Clients are encouraged to have a follow-up session as soon as possible after the initial visit to continue the progress made during the first session.

 

Insurance

Insurance and Payment Information for Myofascial Release (MFR)

Myofascial Release (MFR) is often covered by insurance. To determine if your plan includes MFR, please contact your insurance provider and ask about coverage for the following procedure codes:

  • 97140: Manual Therapy Techniques
  • 97124: Massage Therapy

Make sure to specify that these services are provided by a Licensed Massage Therapist. If your insurance covers these procedures, let us know, and we will assist you with the necessary paperwork.

We currently accept NYSHIP and no-fault insurance. Many other insurance companies are also covering advanced medical massage techniques like MFR. Feel free to reach out to us, and we can help verify your coverage.

For those without insurance or whose insurance we do not accept, we offer an economical Self-Pay Program, with pricing available on this page.

Hands On HealthCare Massage Therapy offers services covered by the NYS Health Insurance Program in Commack, Long Island.
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