Dynamic Myofascial Release

THE PSOAS: A DEEP MUSCLE WITH A BIG ROLE IN BACK PAIN 💜

If your low back keeps hurting, the problem may not be only in your back.

Meet the psoas—one of the deepest muscles in the body and an important connection between your spine, pelvis, and legs.

📍 WHERE IS THE PSOAS?
The psoas major originates along the lumbar spine, travels deep through the abdomen and pelvis, and joins the iliacus before attaching to the upper femur.

Because of this location, it has a direct relationship with the low back, pelvis, hips, posture, and movement.

✨ WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

The psoas helps you:

• Flex your hip
• Stabilize the lumbar spine
• Walk, run, and climb stairs
• Coordinate movement between your trunk and legs
• Maintain functional positioning of the spine and pelvis

When the psoas becomes tight, guarded, overworked, or restricted, it can influence the mechanics of the lumbar spine and pelvis.

⚡ THE PSOAS + BACK PAIN

A restricted or overactive psoas may contribute to:

→ Low-back discomfort
→ Hip or groin tension
→ Difficulty standing fully upright
→ Pelvic imbalance
→ Increased lumbar compression or altered spinal mechanics
→ Discomfort after prolonged sitting
→ A feeling that stretching your back never quite gets to the problem

This is one reason I don’t automatically treat where the pain is.

If your back hurts, I’m also looking at your pelvis, hips, psoas, diaphragm, abdominal fascia, legs, and the fascial connections throughout your entire body.

💜 THE PSOAS DOESN’T EXIST IN ISOLATION.

In Myofascial Release, we look beyond one muscle and assess the larger fascial system.

Sometimes lasting change comes from addressing the restrictions that are pulling on the painful area—not repeatedly chasing the pain itself.

Your back pain may be the messenger.
The source of the tension may be somewhere else.

Treat the front of the back! The Psoas!

Have you ever had your psoas assessed or treated?

✨ Top 5 Reasons Celebrities Are Choosing Myofascial Release for Healing ✨

When your body is your career, taking care of it isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. More celebrities, performers, and public figures are turning to John F. Barnes Myofascial Release because it goes beyond masking symptoms and helps restore the body from the inside out.

⭐ 1. Faster Recovery
Long filming days, concerts, travel, and demanding schedules place constant stress on the body. Myofascial Release helps reduce fascial restrictions that may contribute to pain, stiffness, and limited mobility.

⭐ 2. Better Movement & Performance
Whether acting, dancing, singing, or performing on stage, freedom of movement matters. Healthy fascia allows the body to move more efficiently and naturally.

⭐ 3. Stress & Nervous System Regulation
Life in the spotlight can be physically and emotionally demanding. Gentle, sustained Myofascial Release helps support nervous system regulation, allowing the body to shift toward a state where healing and recovery are more accessible.

⭐ 4. Injury Prevention
Old injuries, repetitive movements, and compensation patterns can build over time. Addressing fascial restrictions may improve balance, alignment, and movement quality before they become larger problems.

⭐ 5. Looking and Feeling Their Best
Healthy fascia supports posture, breathing, circulation, and fluid movement throughout the body. When the body moves better, people often feel more energized, more comfortable, and more confident.

✨ Healing isn’t just about treating pain. It’s about restoring the body’s natural ability to function, adapt, and thrive.

Whether you’re walking the red carpet or chasing your kids around the house, your body deserves the same level of care.

💜 You don’t have to be a celebrity to feel like one!

👇 Which reason resonates with you the most?

Why We Treat the Whole Person—Not Just Where It Hurts

When you’re hurting, it’s natural to focus on the exact spot that hurts.

Your neck hurts, so you want your neck treated.
Your shoulder hurts, so you want your shoulder treated.
Your jaw hurts, so you want someone to work on your jaw.

Makes perfect sense, right?

But what if the area that hurts isn’t actually the whole story?

At Dynamic Myofascial Release, we look at the whole person, rather than focusing only on the location of your symptoms. That’s because your body is not a collection of separate parts. Everything is connected through a continuous network of tissue called fascia.

And sometimes, the place where you feel pain is simply the place where your body is finally saying, “Hey…something needs attention over here!”

Your Body Is Connected

Fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds and supports your muscles, bones, nerves, blood vessels, and organs. It forms a continuous web throughout your body.

Think of it like a three-dimensional suit that wraps around everything inside you.

When one area of that system becomes restricted, tight, or stressed, it can affect other areas. Your body may compensate by changing how you move, how you hold yourself, or how other muscles work.

Over time, those compensations can create tension somewhere else.

That means the shoulder pain you’re experiencing may involve restrictions in your neck, chest, upper back, or even farther down the body.

The hip that hurts may not be the only area contributing to the problem.

And sometimes, the place that hurts the most isn't where we need to begin.

Why Don't You Just Treat the Painful Area?

This is one of the most common questions clients have.

If someone comes in with shoulder pain, they may expect the entire session to focus on their shoulder. But instead, we may spend part of the session working with the chest, upper back, neck, or even another area that appears unrelated.

There is a reason for that.

Rather than simply chasing symptoms, we want to understand what your body may be telling us.

Your painful area may be working overtime because another part of your body isn't moving or functioning as freely as it should. Your body is incredibly good at adapting and compensating—but those adaptations can eventually contribute to discomfort.

By looking at the bigger picture, we can work with the body rather than simply trying to quiet the symptom.

Your Posture, Movement, and History Matter

Your body has a history.

Past injuries, surgeries, repetitive activities, prolonged sitting, poor movement patterns, stress, and even the way you spend your day can influence how your body moves and holds tension.

Maybe you injured your ankle years ago and unconsciously changed the way you walk.

Maybe you spend hours at a computer and your shoulders have gradually moved forward.

Maybe you've had an old whiplash injury that you thought was long behind you.

Or maybe you've simply developed habits over the years without realizing how much they affect your body.

Your body remembers.

And sometimes, those old patterns can continue influencing how you feel today.

That's why we don't look at your symptoms in isolation. We consider you—your history, your movement, your posture, your lifestyle, and what your body is telling us during your session.

We Listen to the Body

One of the principles of Myofascial Release is learning to listen to the body's response rather than forcing it.

During a session, we may discover areas of restriction that you weren't even aware of. You may notice sensations in places you wouldn't have expected.

That's okay.

In fact, it can be incredibly helpful.

Your body's responses give us information.

Instead of saying, “This is the spot that hurts, so this is the only spot we need to work on,” we can become curious about what else may be contributing to the way you're feeling.

Sometimes that curiosity leads us somewhere completely unexpected.

And that's where the whole-person approach becomes so important.

You Are More Than Your Symptoms

You aren't a shoulder.

You aren't a knee.

You aren't a neck, a back, or a jaw.

You are a whole person—and your body functions as a whole system.

At Dynamic Myofascial Release, our goal isn't simply to chase the location of your discomfort. It's to help you better understand your body and work with the interconnected fascial system to encourage greater freedom of movement and ease.

That may mean spending time somewhere other than where you initially felt pain.

It may mean discovering a connection you never knew existed.

And it may mean learning to pay attention to the subtle signals your body has been giving you all along.

Because sometimes the best way to address where you hurt is to look beyond where it hurts.

Your body has a story.

Let's listen to the whole thing.

💜 Fascia Fun Fact Friday: Fascia is constantly remodeling.

Your fascial system isn’t a static wrapping around your muscles. Connective tissue continually responds and adapts to factors such as movement, loading, injury, and prolonged patterns of tension.

Question:
What do you think your fascia has adapted to most—your movement or your lack of movement?

Your Mouth Is Connected to More Than Your Smile. 🦷✨

Did you know that oral devices like braces, retainers, Invisalign, mouth guards, expanders, and other dental appliances don’t just influence your teeth—they can also change how forces are distributed throughout your jaw, face, and surrounding tissues?

The mouth is part of a complex system connected by fascia, muscles, ligaments, and cranial bones. These structures work together with every breath, swallow, bite, and jaw movement.

When an oral appliance changes the position of the teeth or jaw, the body often adapts. For some people, these changes are well tolerated. For others, they may contribute to patterns of tension or compensation that can affect comfort and movement.

Some people notice symptoms such as:
• Jaw tension or TMJ discomfort
• Headaches or migraines
• Neck pain
• Facial tightness
• Ear pressure or ringing
• Changes in posture
• Difficulty relaxing the jaw
• Altered breathing patterns

From a John F. Barnes Myofascial Release perspective, restrictions in the fascial system may also influence the natural mobility of the craniosacral system and what many therapists describe as the body’s subtle cranial rhythm. If surrounding tissues become restricted, the body may compensate in ways that create strain elsewhere.

This doesn’t mean oral appliances are “bad.” In many cases they are necessary and extremely beneficial.

The key is recognizing that the mouth does not function in isolation. When dental treatment is combined with evaluation of the surrounding soft tissues, fascia, posture, breathing, and whole-body mechanics, people often experience greater comfort and more balanced function.

Healing isn’t just about straight teeth.
It’s about helping the entire body adapt as efficiently as possible.

✨ Have you noticed changes in your body after getting braces, Invisalign, a retainer, an expander, or wearing a night guard?

Share your experience below. 👇

Treat the Whole Person, Not Just the Diagnosis. 💜

Pain is rarely just about the place that hurts.

Your body is an interconnected fascial system where every structure influences another. A headache may begin with restrictions in the jaw, neck, pelvis, or even an old scar. Low back pain may be connected to the feet, diaphragm, or emotional tension your body has been carrying for years.

This is why true healing goes beyond chasing symptoms.

✨ Treat the body.
✨ Support the nervous system.
✨ Listen to the story.
✨ Honor the emotions.
✨ Restore movement.
✨ Create safety.

When we only focus on one body part, we often miss the bigger picture.

I believe in treating the whole person—body, mind, and nervous system—because lasting change happens when we address the root causes, not just the symptoms.

Healing isn’t about fixing broken parts.
It’s about helping the entire body remember how to heal.

💜 Your body has incredible wisdom. Sometimes it simply needs the right environment to release, adapt, and restore balance.

Have you ever treated one area of your body only to discover the real source of your pain was somewhere completely different?

Foam Rolling Myths: What You Should Know

🤔🌀

Foam rollers can be a helpful tool—but they aren’t a cure-all. Let’s separate fact from fiction.

❌ Myth 1: Foam rolling breaks up scar tissue.

Truth: Foam rolling does not physically break up scar tissue or fascial adhesions. The pressure isn’t strong enough to remodel tissue in that way. Instead, it can temporarily improve tissue hydration, circulation, and your nervous system’s tolerance to movement.

❌ Myth 2: The more pain, the better the results.

Truth: If you’re gritting your teeth, your body may be guarding instead of relaxing. Healing happens when your nervous system feels safe—not when it’s under attack.

❌ Myth 3: Foam rolling permanently releases fascia.

Truth: Foam rolling may temporarily reduce muscle tension and improve mobility, but those effects are often short-lived if the underlying cause isn’t addressed.

❌ Myth 4: Foam rolling fixes the root cause of pain.

Truth: Pain is often a compensation pattern. Tightness in one area may be caused by restrictions somewhere else in the body. Treating only where it hurts may miss the bigger picture.

❌ Myth 5: Foam rolling is the same as Myofascial Release.

Truth: They’re very different approaches.

Foam Rolling:
• Fast, repetitive pressure
• Self-treatment
• Helpful for temporary mobility and recovery

John F. Barnes Myofascial Release:
• Gentle, sustained pressure held for 3–5 minutes or longer
• Follows the body’s restrictions
• Addresses the fascial system and whole-body compensation patterns
• Aims to restore lasting mobility by working with the tissue rather than forcing it

✨ Bottom Line:
Foam rolling has its place, especially for exercise recovery, but it’s not a substitute for true Myofascial Release when you’re dealing with chronic pain, fascial restrictions, trauma patterns, or long-standing dysfunction.

💜 Your body doesn’t need more force. It needs the right approach.

It’s a greater self treatment tool but not a substitution for myofascial release.

Your Body Doesn’t Heal When It Feels Threatened 🧠💜

Healing isn’t just about what treatment you receive. It’s about the state your nervous system is in when you receive it.

When your body perceives a threat—whether it’s physical pain, emotional stress, unresolved trauma, chronic inflammation, lack of sleep, or constant overwhelm—it shifts into survival mode.

In survival mode, your body prioritizes:
⚠️ Protection over repair
⚠️ Tension over relaxation
⚠️ Stress hormones over tissue regeneration
⚠️ Escaping danger over healing

This is why many people continue chasing symptom after symptom without lasting relief.

Your fascia, muscles, organs, and nervous system respond best when they feel safe.

✨ During a John F. Barnes Myofascial Release session, gentle sustained pressure gives the body time to soften its protective patterns rather than fight against them. As the nervous system begins to regulate, the body can shift from protection into restoration.

When the body feels safe, it can:
💜 Reduce unnecessary muscle guarding
💜 Improve circulation and lymphatic flow
💜 Restore healthier movement
💜 Process stored tension
💜 Support the body’s natural healing abilities

Remember:
The goal isn’t to force the body to change. It’s to create an environment where healing becomes possible.

Healing begins when your nervous system no longer has to choose survival over repair.

✨ Your body is always trying to protect you. Sometimes the greatest healing begins when it finally feels safe enough to let go.

Karen Burg
JFB Myofascial Release Therapist
Trauma Informed Healing
www.Dynamic-MFR.com