I have a client who has had a history of accidents and illness. She is a wonderful soul. She has a lump in her left side after having surgery and colon cancer removed. On the same side she had surgery and she also had a full hip replacement. Her left side has had knee and ankle pain pretty consistently. She had broken her left ankle. Her leg length has been very different and she is unable to stand on the much shorter left leg without bending the right knee which is bent 4 inches in front of the left knee. She said she couldn’t find a still point, a place to balance on the feet, and could not find a solid footing. 

Issa had been having GERD for many years which is an acid reflux as well as gastrointestinal issues including pain. She had neuropathy in her feet with inflamed blood vessels, bruising and no feeling in her feet. She had developed a plantar fibroma on her left ankle, the one that she broke. She had trouble sleeping and she would wake up in the night because of pain. In fact she thought she needed a new bed because sleeping had become so uncomfortable. She lost her balance easily and her head was very far forward over her body. Her forward scoliosis was 40 degrees. The pelvic torsion: anterior rotation on the left hip and posterior rotation of the right was significant. Her hip height was also inches in difference from the anterior side.

Issa’s spine in the thoracic area has been twisted by a large mass that has formed as adhesions from the colon surgery below the ribcage. The mass was about 4 inches wide, 4 inches deep and about 7 inches tall. This mass had twisted the spine to a fulcrum point at which there is a rotation and a bend. The transverse processes (boney protuberances) that protrude to the left and right sides of the vertebrae and then there are the spinous processes that protrude to the posterior (back). Her transverse process at the fulcrum point (the rotated bent place) on the left side had twisted to the position where the spinous process should be; a 90 degree twist with a bulging disc. Adding shearing pressure to this disc is the forward bend of 40 degree thoracic kyphosis.

Issa and I have been addressing all of these issues with Myofascial Release techniques. MFR is highly effective, safe and gentle. These specialized techniques are used in Unwinding, Rebounding and Structural work. I apply a sustained pressure and with time I listen to the fascial system and go into the fascial layers to release tension patterns. With sustained pressure the deeper and deeper layers of fascial restrictions in the matrix of connective tissue are unlocked, and I am delighted to say deep healing occurs.

Issa has booked her third series and we have just completed 13 sessions. We are unraveling the years of trauma the tissue has stored in its fabric. She has gained 3 inches in height, her head is more directly over her neck and shoulders, and more centered above her ribcage. She has regained feeling in her feet, the surface of her feet are able to be in contact with the ground. She is able to plant her foundation which is positively impacting her whole structure. She is walking better and her hip gait is more even. Her feet are coming back to life, and the discolored tissue as well as the veins are diminishing significantly.

She was unable to lay on her front and has now been able to do that comfortably. She also woke in the night with leg pain, and no longer does. I had gotten her to a place where she could lay face down, we have been working from all sides at this mass which is diminishing in size. We pull out the fascial layers that have bunched and squozen in, compacted and tight to protect this sensitive delicate area of the stomach. With the level of trauma I have been very delicate and light with my pressure. Issa has been very communicative if something feels uncomfortable, with her sensitivities we have gone extremely light in pressure.

With light comfortable pressure we worked the fulcrum point and the 90 degree twist in the vertebrae completely pulled out. Her transverse process is in the right place now. She is still bent forward and the degree is now 25 from 40. She has been releasing the fascia in the lower back and her hip height is now relatively balanced. I blocked her pelvis in place which takes out the torsion in the pelvis. The blocks allow the muscles and fascia that have been working so hard to create balance, the rest they need. This resets and balances the pelvis. And so I got to work on the legs. I was overjoyed to see her leg lengths were almost the same. I got to work on the left knee and ankle. It unwound and when she got on the ground this time we were both overjoyed. She was standing on her own two feet and the legs were the same length.

What this means is that the leg length difference was structural and not congenital. She had been diagnosed with congenital scoliosis after the accident and the cancer surgery. She knew it wasn’t congenital and we just proved it. Her legs were standing relatively evenly and were the same height and the hips were relatively level. When she looked in the mirror we smiled, look at your waistline Issa! She took the lift out of her shoe on the way out because it was uncomfortable now.

Issa says GERD Gastroesophageal Reflux disease symptoms and the pain have subsided she's able to take less pain medication and is considering titrating and eliminating her neuropathy medication which she experiences side effects from.

What I love about my work is that I feel like a sculptor, a fascia whisperer, a cosmic surfer of the landscape that forms our tissues. I get to melt tissue with intention and pressure, the pressure is slow and steady until I feel a restriction, and instead of pushing past the restrictions boundary I gently hold the restriction and meet it with equal and opposite resistance, and I wait. With all parts of the hands there is deep listening to where your tissue wants to be. Each part of my hand is doing something different. Each part is anticipating the movement of the fascia and applying varying degrees of pressure applied gently and with my body weight. With the mechanics of my fascia I listen so your body can unwind. Unwinding of the tissue is integral to the tissue finding homeostasis, or its preferred optimal residence, where it has space and room to function properly, where it feels connected to its neighbors and not too codependent on its neighbors for support.

When I first started working with Issa she was very sensitive, over time and with her trust we have been going deeper into the layers of fascia. She was so sensitive and we have been attending to this sensitivity. She also has trust in the process and sees her progress each time. She has a beautiful heart and I feel very grateful to be able to find her the peace and stability in her body that she deserves.

We all deserve to feel good in our bodies. Sometimes it takes an investment in your health to feel good, and it's an investment into your greatest asset, You. Your living experience is important and matters. You deserve to live pain free, you deserve to find your center. Myofascial Release for the win!

In humble service, Angela

Angela Rose is a Myofascial Release Therapist and Injury Specialist. She has successful outcomes with clients who are looking to avoid surgery, who have had surgery and need rehab. Clients with scoliosis, knee and hip surgery or replacement, spinal fusion, bulging discs, sciatica, women's health issues, you name it. She creates lasting structural change in your body.

She practices Presence Centered Awareness Therapy, a psychosomatic experience during sessions to integrate and treat consciousness, so that any underlying mental or emotional patterns, past traumas that could be creating and maintaining physical issues can be addressed.

Angela Rose treats clients in Grass Valley, CA at Sol Bodyworks