The Dreaded "C-Word": How Myofascial Release Therapy Provides Hope and Healing for People with Cancer
- By Elena Gournelos
- •
- 16 Apr, 2017
Read Rachel's real life story about her cancer diagnosis, and the personal healing she has experienced with myofascial release ...
There are few diagnoses that strike fear in our hearts more than CANCER. Whether it is you yourself or a loved one, it can turn your life completely inside out and upside down.
I have seen in my practice that Myofascial Release Therapy can induce profound levels of personal healing and transformation in cancer patients. This work is so important, so life transforming, that in this article, I've decided to take a side seat and let my patient Rachel Schneiderman speak for herself. About 6 months ago, Rachel was diagnosed with stage four cancer of the lung, bone, and liver, and is currently in hospice. Please read on ... please read Rachel's story in her own words ...
"In my 40 years of bodywork, after a series of wonderful practitioners, I never expected to find one with such a gift as Elena Gournelos possesses, and gives in such generous measure. From my first session with her, I realized that in spite or because of all I’d experienced before, I’d been on a search for a truly collaborative yet guiding healer, yet hadn’t known it.
Over a year ago I remembered one exquisite component of a session with a chiropractor in NC. It was called myofascial release, and after moving to FL and dealing with unresolved body problems, I longed to find someone who did exclusively that kind of healing. I searched online and Elena’s website appealed to me in its language and approach. Little did I know how much fortune smiled when I was drawn to her.
The moment she began to map my body, I could feel a transformation flowing over it on all levels at once: physical, emotional and spiritual. She went into a silent healing zone and, by example rather than words, she showed me that the less I talked, the more I could focus with her, on allowing my body to speak to her so she could heal it. I learned and am still learning how to express what my body needs to keep and what to let go, in a way that helps our teamwork.
Elena brought out the strength and resilience that lay in my body waiting to emerge through the layers and layers of emotional stress, spiritual trauma, physical injury and the combination thereof. I was also amazed that each session, there was still more within me to discover, uncover and set free.
Then I was distracted from the healing process by a vain attempt to improve my financial and professional situation. Ironically, as if in answer, I was further distracted by a diagnosis of stage 4 cancer of the lung, liver and bone. My veteran oncologist, who was unfailingly kind and empathetic, gave me the finest available treatments. Nonetheless, I was allergic to all of them, my colon failed, and everything else began to break down. I was so depleted I felt very close to death.
I lost touch with myself in the face of overwhelming demands on my body and spirit, and thus lost touch with my healer, Elena, when I needed her guidance the most. Finally I regained my natural wisdom and reached out to her. When I returned I was a withered, drained, shadow of my former self, and had a thick layer of edema on one leg that seemed intractable.
I lost touch with myself in the face of overwhelming demands on my body and spirit, and thus lost touch with my healer, Elena, when I needed her guidance the most. Finally I regained my natural wisdom and reached out to her. When I returned I was a withered, drained, shadow of my former self, and had a thick layer of edema on one leg that seemed intractable.
We both now recall that Elena could hardly touch me, I was in so much pain. Yet, she was able even under that limitation, to make her way back through the initial layers. The next morning I not only felt amazingly limber and lighter of heart, but the edema had all but disappeared. I knew this was a metaphor, a shedding of unnecessary “protective” matter, and a sign that things were moving again, I had not become stagnant after all. Since then she has made the kind of progress with me that would take another practitioner years to uncover.
With Elena, healing is revealing, not just a result but a fluid, ongoing process. Though it takes practice in deep breathing and surrender, it’s beyond worth it. It's ever easier to let her go gently but firmly, deeper and deeper into the layers of pain, until they release into positive, powerful fuel for living, my own sustainable energy program. This transformation occurs more easily and quickly each time, as if I’m learning a language through repetition, yet exploring new avenues of expression as each one is understood.
She’s guiding me on a journey we’re taking together, for we both share the same sense of wonder in the miracle that is the human body. We celebrate each breakthrough. I can only hope to be so fortunate as to keep releasing the old layers, to return more and more to my essential self, and to collaborate with her until my last breath on earth."
~Rachel Schneiderman, writer and Spanish translator, age 65
As Rachel's myofascial release therapist, I can say she is making amazing progress. When she first came to me after her unsuccessful attempt at chemotherapy, she was haggard, shrunken and grey. But after just one session, the color returned to her skin and the sparkle returned to her eyes. After just a few sessions, she stopped walking with a cane. With every session, her energy and vitality increase, and her body becomes stronger. She is finding that Myofascial Release is helping manage the pain and restoring proper functioning to her body, including her appetite and digestion.
More than anything, it is an honor to be her companion as she walks this road. I have witnessed a spiritual and emotional transformation in her that is humbling to behold. She has a radiance that is so rare these days, in anyone. She even tells me people can't believe she has cancer.
Our work together is having a profound effect on her quality of life, and we both agree that it is prolonging her life. Rather than every day being a battle with pain, every day is a gift and a blessing for her. We are both looking forward to the future, and hopeful about the healing that is still unfolding ...
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Biomedical research supporting the use of massage and myofascial release in the treatment of cancer. Alternative and adjunct therapy for cancer
Meditation and yoga were wonderful tools for healing and growth, but they only took me so far. With myofascial release, my healing journey took a quantum leap. It was a personal revolution that changed my life forever.
John Barnes' myofascial release approach is different from any other type of therapeutic bodywork. It engages the fascia on a cellular level, producing profound levels of pain relief and healing with long term results. New scientific research supports the effectiveness of myofascial release.
There are many causes of fatigue, including stress, anxiety, and depression as well as conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, adrenal fatigue syndrome, adrenal insufficiency, and auto-immune disorders. Often, the symptoms of adrenal fatigue are sub-clinical, which means they cannot be detected by standard medical tests. Myofascial release and cranial work can be very helpful in all these situations. Either as a stand-alone therapy or part of a larger treatment plan, myofascial release and cranial work help relax, rejuvenate, and energize the body, mind and spirit on a very deep level.
Many cases of foot pain, including plantar fasciitis and metatarsalgia, may not actually originate in the feet. Often, there are fascial restrictions present in other parts of the body (such as the legs, pelvis, and cranium) which are the real culprit. These fascial restrictions create tension in the body's matrix of connective tissue which is ultimately transferred all the way down to the feet, causing pain and discomfort. Myofascial release and cranial work are effective ways to release the extra tension in the body, freeing the feet from their extra burden and eliminating pain.
Surgery is a big decision. Considering all your options can be overwhelming, especially if you are experiencing significant pain and discomfort. Perhaps you've tried other therapies such as physical therapy, massage, and chiropractic, but with limited success, and you feel like there are no other options available to you.
Don't despair! Myofascial release often succeeds where other therapies fail. And you don't have to abandon your current doctor, therapist or chiropractor to reap the benefits.
..............
Why is the myofascial release approach so important? Myofascial release, especially when combined with cranial work, acts on a cellular level to release restrictions in the body that other therapies aren't able to address. Fascia is a matrix of connective tissue that is present everywhere in your body, surrounding and connecting every cell. It does not appear in X-rays, MRIs, or any other standard medical test. However, when fascia gets restricted, it can wreak havoc inside your body.
Fascial restrictions have a tensile strength of 2000 lbs per square inch, and they can exert a lot of force on surrounding muscles, joints, and even internal organs, causing severe pain and dysfunction. Releasing these restrictions releases the pressure safely and naturally,returning your entire body to a fluid and responsive state. The result? Less pain, better functioning, and a healthier body.
..............
So do you really need surgery? Maybe, maybe not. Myofascial release may be able to alleviate your symptoms and spare you the significant risk, expense, and inconvenience of surgery. And if you do decide to go under the knife, myofascial release can be used both before and after surgery to promote healing. Addressing restrictions in the connective tissue before the procedure may make your surgeon's job easier and decrease the risk of complications. Myofascial release after surgery may decrease the amount a scar tissue formed and speed up recovery time.
In fact, myofascial release can even act synergistically to enhance the effects of other therapies. Because it never works in opposition to the body, combining myofascial release with chiropractic, acupuncture, yoga, or physical therapy can be a powerful approach to healing. When the fascia has been released, chiropractic adjustments hold longer, energy flows more easily through the body, yoga becomes easier, and physical therapy becomes more effective.
So whether you choose to use myofascial release alone or in combination with surgery or other therapies, the benefits are immense, both for your body and your spirit. The sooner you are able to get back to living fully the better!
Don't despair! Myofascial release often succeeds where other therapies fail. And you don't have to abandon your current doctor, therapist or chiropractor to reap the benefits.
..............
Why is the myofascial release approach so important? Myofascial release, especially when combined with cranial work, acts on a cellular level to release restrictions in the body that other therapies aren't able to address. Fascia is a matrix of connective tissue that is present everywhere in your body, surrounding and connecting every cell. It does not appear in X-rays, MRIs, or any other standard medical test. However, when fascia gets restricted, it can wreak havoc inside your body.
Fascial restrictions have a tensile strength of 2000 lbs per square inch, and they can exert a lot of force on surrounding muscles, joints, and even internal organs, causing severe pain and dysfunction. Releasing these restrictions releases the pressure safely and naturally,returning your entire body to a fluid and responsive state. The result? Less pain, better functioning, and a healthier body.
..............
So do you really need surgery? Maybe, maybe not. Myofascial release may be able to alleviate your symptoms and spare you the significant risk, expense, and inconvenience of surgery. And if you do decide to go under the knife, myofascial release can be used both before and after surgery to promote healing. Addressing restrictions in the connective tissue before the procedure may make your surgeon's job easier and decrease the risk of complications. Myofascial release after surgery may decrease the amount a scar tissue formed and speed up recovery time.
In fact, myofascial release can even act synergistically to enhance the effects of other therapies. Because it never works in opposition to the body, combining myofascial release with chiropractic, acupuncture, yoga, or physical therapy can be a powerful approach to healing. When the fascia has been released, chiropractic adjustments hold longer, energy flows more easily through the body, yoga becomes easier, and physical therapy becomes more effective.
So whether you choose to use myofascial release alone or in combination with surgery or other therapies, the benefits are immense, both for your body and your spirit. The sooner you are able to get back to living fully the better!
There IS a way out of fibromyalgia ... and Dr. Liptan explains how John Barnes' Myofascial Release was an integral part of her patients and her own healing process
Hello everyone! As many of you know, I have always been a person who prefers personal, one-on-one communication. However, as time goes on, I'm finding there are some great topics that come up over and over again, and there are so many people who can benefit from these conversations. So, I have decided to start a blog in order share these insights and information, both yours and my own, and support our mutual growth and healing. Keep coming back to this site and check for updates right here on the blog!
Also, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their contributions, especially those of you who have shared your personal stories in the form of testimonials. Your healing experiences help to inspire others as they take their own steps toward health and wholeness.
Also, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their contributions, especially those of you who have shared your personal stories in the form of testimonials. Your healing experiences help to inspire others as they take their own steps toward health and wholeness.
