Release & Restore Therapy - Savannah A. Schlitzer, L.M.T. & Joel M. Schlitzer, L.M.T.

"He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul." Psalm 23:2-3 The John Barnes' Myofascial Release (MFR) approach is a gentle, non-invasive modality that addresses pain and dysfunction at the source rather than simply masking the symptoms. By combining our God-given intuition with the best hands-on training in fascial bodywork, we offer every-body a truly holistic and unique potential to transform. MFR opens your fiber-optic fascia back up, resets neuro-muscular pathways, and releases stored tension (even decades) and compensation patterns that you have been carrying for years. This includes physical, mental, and emotional patterning. (It's all connected!) What is Fascia? Fascia is the connective tissue that wraps around, and penetrates through every single cell in the body. It is the immediate environment of any and every single cell. It is the ONLY tissue that is EVERYWHERE! There is no true beginning or end. It is responsible for keeping us upright & held together; it should be strong, but also fluid and mobile. It is 80% collagen, 20% elastin, with a liquid crystalline ground substance. Strong, yet fluid and mobile. This is called "biotensegrity." How Does it Become Restricted? When you sustain an injury, endure a trauma (physical, mental, emotional), or engage in repetitive movements, the fascia tightens down and limits range of motion to try and protect the important structures embedded within it. Fascia is our greatest shock absorber and protector. When it is overwhelmed/injured, it loses hydration - making it stiff, weak, and the rest of the body prone to further injury. How Are These Restrictions Connected To My Pain? When you acquire a fascial restriction, (we all have many) the entire body adapts by compensating. The forces imposed upon your body as you walk, sit, lie down - become distributed in ways that your body is not engineered to sustain. You end up developing postural imbalances that get worse over time. This puts excessive strain and compression on our pain-sensitive structures including muscles, joints, nerves, blood vessels, and even organs. Restricted fascia feels like a "straightjacket" that pulls you down day after day. Oftentimes, our symptoms are the voice of where our bodies are working too hard, because there are areas of our body that aren't working hardly at all. How Does Myofascial Release Work? True myofascial release uses sustained pressure of 5 minutes or more at the collagenous barrier, which then begins to "melt," and release under my hands. I continue to engage the barrier as it releases three-dimensionally. You will also have the opportunity to "unwind." When a person feels safe and supported, often their body will spontaneously begin to move through space, "unwinding" previous traumatic events. This is a tremendous opportunity to let go of things you've carried your whole life and can be life-changing. I will gather your health history, noting any and all injuries/accidents/surgeries, assess your posture, and manually test for restrictions. How Is This Therapy Different Than Massage or the Chiropractor? During a massage, the therapist is releasing your muscular tension, which feels incredible. However, the muscles account for only 20% of the bodies' tension. The other 80% is fascial. They may smooth out some muscular knots, but they are not releasing the fascia. Myofascial release requires spending prolonged time over one area to really sink into the collagenous barrier of the fascia, then adapting pressure and direction to what the body needs to release. Instead of waiting at the barrier, and then following the bodies' own direction of release, a massage is gliding over your tissues. Our chronic pain is deeper than the muscles, which is why releasing muscular tension only, is nowhere near the full picture. A chiropractor can also certainly help short-term, but oftentimes can not produce lasting results, because the fascia is what continuously pulls your bones out of place. Chiropractor and massage therapy modalities are helpful and I recommend them for time sensitive, holistic pain management. But not for long term change. How Many Sessions Should I Receive? There are many, many factors that are at play when we are to consider the answer to this question. I cannot say; it is different for everyone. For acute injury, a couple sessions does the trick. However, the longer you've been experiencing symptoms, the more therapy you will need! I strongly recommend scheduling a minimum of six sessions scheduled within 2 to 4 weeks to receive the most benefit. While one session can be helpful, a series of multiple sessions will help us to shift long-held holding patterns. Each session will build upon the other, and significant shifts will begin to occur as we peel back the layers. Once you've received your upfront sessions, we can come up with a frequency of sessions that will best fit your needs, goals, and abilities. This may look like a biweekly, monthly, or as desired visit. You will continue to experience benefits with every session. Why Hasn't My Doctor Mentioned This Before? Fascia does not show up on MRIs, CTs, XRays, etc. It is ENTIRELY looked over by allopathic medicine. Up until about 50 years ago, this incredible tissue has gone unnoticed, considered nothing but "packing material." Meet Savannah I have been an active person as long as I can remember. I've enjoyed backpacking, hiking, swimming, dancing, and loved my previous job as a farmer. I adored that I used my body to earn a living; challenging my body daily was everything I wanted. And then - on a busy, sweltering day in 2021, I injured my low back doing what I loved most. It changed my life as I knew it in that instantaneous moment. I shortly after acquired even more injuries. My body was exhausted and falling apart. After over a year of multiple physical therapy scripts, massages, yoga, stretching, cupping, acupuncture, and more, I was still in pain and wasn't back to an active lifestyle. I went to Letchworth one summer evening to spend time with our family that was up from Florida. My Aunt asked me if I'd like her to work on me. I knew very little of what she did - I knew she was a PT and that was about it. After an hour session in a camper pull-out bed, I felt so incredibly different in how I was treated, how the treatment felt in my body, and how I felt afterwards. I immediately started asking her what she did to me, and if I could learn it too. I shortly after began massage therapy school, and have loved every single minute of this new path laid out before me since. Helping every individual to the best of my ability has been nothing short of an absolute honor and blessing! My Skills/Trainings A.A.S. in Massage Therapy from SUNY Niagara. John Barnes' Myofascial Release courses - Myofascial Release 1, Myofascial Release 2, Unwinding, Pediatrics, Myofascial Mobilization, Fascial Pelvis, Cervical Thoracic (x2), Fascial Cranium, & Rebounding. Freedom From Pain Institute - Myoskeletal Alignment Technique Can MFR Help Me? Please give us a call at (716) 880-7059 anytime for a free 15 minute consultation to ask questions about your specific concerns, and if myofascial release could be a good fit for you!