Soft Tissue Release (STR)!
'The heart of healing lies in our ability to listen, to see, to perceive more than in our application of technique' - Thomas W. Myers
In the previous post, I introduced you to self-massage and the benefits of longitudinal gliding. In this post you will learn about an advanced massage technique known as, ‘soft tissue release’ and how it can be used to get the best out of your muscles.
Once mastered this technique is one of the best for releasing myofascial tension!

Soft Tissue RElease (STR)
Soft Tissue Release refers to a versatile advanced technique employed by massage therapists and other body workers to help clients overcome various types of soft tissue trauma including: overuse, injuries, postural imbalances, congenital conditions, hypertonicity, scar tissue and adhesions. Compared to other techniques, this is slightly more dynamic and involves much more active movement by the individual performing self-massage. It is performed by applying sustained pressure, to 'pin' or 'lock' the soft tissues below. As the lock is applied simultaneously muscle fibres and local fascia are stretched away from the lock by movement of a limb or joint. When training as a therapist, one of the instructors reminded me of an excellent phrase to help us from overcomplicating otherwise simple cncepts. The phrase was,
'Keep it simple stupid!'
If you bare this in mind when applying this technique you will find it relatively straight forward to perform.
Read on to find out the steps to performing soft tissue release successfully!
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