If you love your monthly massages but notice your tension or pain keeps returning, you may want to explore a deeper, more advanced approach. Choosing a Massage Therapist trained in the John F. Barnes Myofascial Release Approach® (JFB MFR) can help you move beyond temporary relief and create lasting change.
Massage Therapy and the Role of the Fascia
Myofascial Release (MFR) is fully within the RMT scope of practice. Where traditional massage focuses mainly on the muscles and joints of the body, MFR works with the fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds and supports every muscle, joint, nerve, blood vessel, and organ.
How Fascial Restrictions Affect the Body
Fascial restrictions can develop from soft tissue injury, postural strain, surgery, inflammation, or emotional trauma. Over time, these restrictions continue to expand like an internal web or vine, pulling on other areas and creating pain or limited movement.
Over time, these restrictions can cause crushing internal pressure and can feel like hardened cement. Stretching or deep tissue massage alone is often not enough to resolve the problem.
Why Pain Often Returns After Massage
Even if your muscles feel relaxed after a massage, the deeper layers of fascia may still be holding tension. These unresolved restrictions can continue to pull on the body, which is why tightness or discomfort often returns once the temporary muscle relaxation fades.
Myofascial Release works through these deeper layers, allowing the tissue to soften, lengthen, and restore natural movement and balance throughout the body.
The Essence of the John F. Barnes Myofascial Release Approach ®
The John F. Barnes Myofascial Release Approach® uses gentle, sustained pressure; meeting the body where the restriction is and allowing the tissue to gradually soften, unwind, and release.
This non-forceful method works with the body rather than against it. Because fascia is a continuous network that connects every part of us, releasing one area often restores balance, alignment, and ease throughout the entire system. Clients often describe feeling lighter, more open, and more at ease long after their session.
Why It Matters
Lisa Bertschy, an RMT trained in John F. Barnes Myofascial Release, combines the science of Massage Therapy with an advanced understanding of the fascial system. This integrative approach helps restore alignment, reduce pain, and calm the nervous system—supporting the body’s natural ability to heal.
If you’re ready for change that lasts, book your initial consultation with a Massage Therapist at Inner Essence Myofascial Release in Oshawa, where Authentic Healing begins within.