What Is Myofascial Release? A Gentle Approach to Chronic Pain in Frederick, MD

Living With Pain That “Doesn’t Make Sense”

If you’ve been living with nagging pain, tightness, or exhaustion, you’ve probably tried a little bit of everything:

Stretching.Massage.Chiropractic.Maybe even physical therapy or injections.

Some of it helps for a little while… but nothing really sticks.You walk out feeling a bit better, only to wake up the next day feeling like your body has snapped back into the same old pattern.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.It also might mean that something important has been overlooked:

👉 Your fascia.

My name is James (Jim) Morgan, and I’m a John F. Barnes–trained Myofascial Release therapist and Licensed Massage Therapist in Frederick, MD. At Key City Myofascial Release, I help people who feel “stuck” in their bodies discover a gentler, deeper way to heal.

Let’s talk about what myofascial release actually is—and why it might be the piece you’ve been missing.

Fascia: The Missing Link in Your Pain

Most of us were taught to think in terms of muscles, bones, and joints.

Fascia is the continuous web of connective tissue that wraps around and through everything in your body—muscles, organs, nerves, blood vessels, even your cells. You can think of it like a three-dimensional spiderweb or a full-body sweater.

When fascia is healthy, it’s:

• Fluid

• Flexible

• Able to glide and adapt as you move

But life happens:

• Injuries or surgeries

• Repetitive stress and posture

• Chronic stress, bracing, and “holding it together”

• Emotional or physical trauma

Over time, fascia can become tight, dense, and restricted.Because it’s all connected, a restriction in one area can create tension or pain somewhere else entirely.

That’s why you might have:

• Pain that “moves around”

• Tension that never quite releases

• Symptoms that don’t match your scans or test results

It’s not “all in your head.”It might simply be in your fascia.

What Is Myofascial Release?

Myofascial Release (MFR) is a hands-on therapy that works directly with this fascial system.

The style I practice is the John F. Barnes approach, which is different from typical massage in a few important ways:

1. Gentle, Sustained Pressure

Instead of short, gliding strokes with oil, MFR uses slow, sustained pressure and holds into areas of restriction. We wait for the tissue to respond and soften at its own pace. There’s no forcing or “digging.”

2. No Oils or Lotions

MFR is usually done on skin without oils so that I can feel how the fascia is truly moving (or not moving). This allows for a more direct, authentic connection with the tissue.

3. Whole-Body Focus

Even if your main complaint is your neck or low back, we might work with the hips, ribs, or even the feet. Fascia is connected from head to toe—so we look for patterns, not just isolated pain.

4. Nervous System Awareness

Fascia and your nervous system are closely intertwined. When we give your body slow, safe, sustained input, your system can begin to shift out of “fight-or-flight” and into a more relaxed, healing state. That’s where deeper change happens.

Many clients describe the experience as:

“Deceptively gentle, but surprisingly powerful.”

What a Session With Me Looks Like

If you schedule a session at Key City Myofascial Release in Frederick, MD, here’s what you can expect.

Before Your Session

You’ll fill out a brief intake form so I can understand your history, your symptoms, and your goals. We’ll talk about what you’ve already tried and what hasn’t worked.

I’ll also explain what MFR is, answer questions, and make sure you feel comfortable with the process.

You can wear:

• Comfortable shorts or leggings

• A sports bra, tank, or comfortable top

The goal is that you feel both covered and free to move.

During Your Session

You’ll lie comfortably on the treatment table, and we’ll start with a quick assessment—how you stand, how you move, and how your tissue feels to my hands.

From there, I use gentle, sustained pressure and holds on specific areas of restriction. Sometimes the work is very still and quiet; other times, your body may want to subtly shift, unwind, or move.

You might notice:

• Gradual softening or warmth

• Deep relaxation or emotional release

• A sense of your body “unwinding” or reorganizing

You’re encouraged to:

• Communicate what you feel

• Ask questions

• Take deep breaths and stay present

This is not a “power through it” kind of therapy.It’s a collaboration with your body.

After Your Session

You may feel:

• Lighter or more open

• A bit sore, like after a good workout

• Sleepy, calm, or emotionally tender

We’ll talk about simple aftercare—hydration, gentle movement, and listening to your body over the next 24–48 hours. I’ll share what I noticed and how I see your body’s patterns, and together we’ll discuss next steps.

Who Is Myofascial Release For?

Myofascial release may be helpful if you:

• Have chronic pain that hasn’t fully responded to traditional care

• Feel tight, stiff, or “twisted” in your posture

• Have old injuries or surgeries that still seem to affect you

• Experience pain that moves around or doesn’t show up clearly on scans

• Feel like your body holds on to stress, trauma, or emotion

• Are a highly sensitive person or empath who easily gets overwhelmed

You don’t need a specific diagnosis to benefit from this work.You just need a willingness to slow down and explore what your body has been trying to tell you.

How Many Sessions Will I Need?

Everyone is different, but in general:

• Some people feel noticeable changes after their first few sessions

• Deeper, longer-lasting shifts often come with a series of sessions, especially when the issue has been around for a long time

Together, we’ll create a plan that feels realistic for your schedule, your budget, and your nervous system. My goal is not to keep you on the table forever—it’s to help your body move toward more freedom and ease, and to give you tools to support yourself between sessions.

A Softer Way to Heal

If you’re reading this and thinking,

“This sounds like me… I’m tired of fighting my body,”

then myofascial release might be a powerful next step.

Your body is not the enemy.It’s been protecting you the best way it knows how.

My role is to offer a soft, science-meets-sensitivity approach that helps your fascia and nervous system feel safe enough to let go.

If you’re in or near Frederick, MD and you’d like to explore this work:

📍 Key City Myofascial Release – Frederick, MD

🔗 Learn more or book a session: www.keycitymfr.com

📩 Or send me a message jim@keycitymfr.com if you’re not sure where to start—I’m happy to answer questions.

✨Reiki and Myofascial Release: Two Traditions, One Wisdom.

When people hear the word Reiki, many think of “energy healing” — mysterious, intangible, maybe even too spiritual to take seriously. But after training in Jikiden Reiki (the traditional Japanese lineage) and later in John F. Barnes’ Myofascial Release (MFR), I was struck by how similar these two approaches are — not just in philosophy, but in technique.

It led me to an idea I want to share:

👉 What if Reiki was never meant to be “woo” at all? What if it was simply an early form of what we now recognize as myofascial release?

🙌🏼The Power of Gentle, Sustained Touch

• Reiki practice: The practitioner places their hands gently on the body and waits. We are trained to sense “byosen” — areas where energy feels stagnant — and it’s not unusual to stay in one place for 20–30 minutes or more. Byosen is thought to move in cycles: heat, tingling, pulsing, or magnetism rising and falling in recognizable rhythms. The important moment is when the pattern changes — a sign the body has shifted and healing has begun.

• MFR practice: The therapist makes gentle contact with the fascial system, applies sustained pressure, and waits. We listen for softening, lengthening, and release. Over minutes, the tissue often shifts from rigidity to flow.

Different training, different words — but in practice, the process is almost identical.

Philosophy: The Body Heals Itself

Neither Reiki nor MFR sees the therapist as the “healer.”

• In Reiki, the practitioner facilitates balance, creating space for the body to restore itself.

• In MFR, we create a safe environment where restrictions can soften, and the client’s innate healing wisdom can surface.

Both approaches honor the idea that healing is something that comes from within, not something imposed from outside.

Fascia: The Missing Link

Modern science gives us a way to understand why both Reiki and MFR work. Fascia — the connective tissue that surrounds and interpenetrates everything in the body — is:

• Highly sensory: packed with mechanoreceptors.

• Responsive to sustained touch: it softens, rehydrates, and reorganizes with gentle engagement.

• Conductive: research shows fascia can transmit electrical signals and even biophotons (light).

What Reiki describes as “energy” (ki) may not be mystical at all — it may be the felt experience of interacting with this living matrix.

Beyond Labels

Reiki grew in early 20th-century Japan, where the word ki (life energy) was the natural way to describe what was happening. MFR developed in the West, where science prefers terms like “ground substance,” “piezoelectricity,” and “biotensegrity.”

But when you put the two side by side, the overlap is undeniable:

• Both involve gentle, sustained contact.

• Both invite, rather than force, release.

• Both can bring warmth, pulsing, emotional release, or deep relaxation.

It’s the same universal principle, expressed in two languages.

My Perspective as a Practitioner

As someone trained in both Jikiden Reiki and JFB-MFR, I don’t see them as separate practices anymore. To me, they are two doorways into the same room — one rooted in Japanese tradition, the other in Western anatomy and fascia science.

For clients, what matters most isn’t the label — it’s the experience of feeling lighter, freer, and more connected to themselves.

An Invitation

If you’ve ever been curious about Reiki but hesitated because it sounded “too spiritual”… or if you’ve heard of Myofascial Release but thought it was just another type of massage… I invite you to experience this blend for yourself.

At Key City Myofascial Release, I integrate the timeless wisdom of Reiki with the cutting-edge science of MFR. The result is a session that honors both ancient tradition and modern understanding — helping you reconnect with your body’s natural ability to heal.

👉 Book your session here

✨ Closing Thought: Maybe Reiki was fascia therapy all along. And maybe science is finally catching up with what human hands have always known.

Obesity and Fascial Health: The Hidden Connection

When most people think about obesity, they focus on diet, exercise, or metabolism. But there’s another player in the story that rarely gets attention—fascia. This three-dimensional connective tissue system runs through the entire body, surrounding muscles, bones, nerves, blood vessels, and organs. It’s the fabric that holds us together and transmits force, sensation, and energy.

What happens to fascia when the body carries extra weight? And just as importantly—how do fascial restrictions make it harder for someone struggling with obesity to heal and feel well?

The Impact of Obesity on Fascia

• Compression & Strain-Carrying excess weight increases pressure on fascial layers. Over time, this creates stiffness, adhesions, and restrictions that limit mobility and cause discomfort.

• Inflammation-Obesity often comes with low-grade systemic inflammation. Fascia is extremely sensitive to chemical signals in the body, and this constant inflammatory environment can heighten pain and slow tissue repair.

• Circulation & Fluid Flow-Fascia depends on hydration and fluid exchange to stay supple. Extra adipose tissue can block efficient circulation and lymphatic drainage, leaving tissues sluggish and prone to swelling.

• Postural Shifts-Abdominal weight in particular pulls the pelvis and spine into compensation patterns. These shifts ripple through the fascial web, creating imbalances that reinforce discomfort and fatigue.

How Fascial Restrictions Can Contribute to Obesity

The relationship is not one-way. Just as obesity affects fascia, fascial restrictions can make it more difficult to overcome obesity.

• Movement Becomes Harder-Stiff, painful fascia makes it difficult to exercise or even enjoy daily movement. This can discourage activity, fueling a cycle of weight gain.

• Metabolic Influence-Fascia is deeply connected with adipose tissue and endocrine signaling. When restricted, it may alter the body’s balance of communication, subtly influencing metabolism.

• Emotional Holding Patterns-Fascia often carries unresolved trauma and emotional tension. These patterns can lead to stress-eating, fatigue, or disconnection from the body—making lifestyle change more difficult.

Breaking the Cycle with Myofascial Release

The good news is fascia responds beautifully to sustained, gentle release.

• Improved Mobility-Myofascial Release (MFR) restores fluidity and elasticity, making it easier for clients to move, stretch, and exercise comfortably.

• Reduced Inflammation & Swelling-By improving circulation and lymphatic flow, MFR supports tissue detoxification and reduces the inflammatory burden.

• Mind-Body Connection-Many people report feeling “lighter” and more connected to themselves after fascial work. This renewed sense of embodiment can shift habits, reduce stress-eating, and encourage sustainable healing.

A New Way of Seeing Healing

Obesity and fascial health are woven together in a cycle. Extra weight strains the fascia, while restricted fascia makes it harder to move and heal. The key is not judgment, but awareness. When we bring fascia into the conversation about obesity, we open new doors for compassionate, effective healing.

At Key City Myofascial Release, my goal is to help people restore balance in their bodies so they can move with freedom and reconnect with themselves. Whether your focus is pain relief, weight management, or overall well-being, fascia is the common thread.

👉 Curious about how Myofascial Release can support your healing journey?

Book a Free Discovery Session Today!!