Percussor / Fascial Release

 

The Percussor is a device that has a vibrating head, that pulses in and out at a variable rate.  The percussor's action allows the practitioner to work with the fascia of the body at a very deep, penetrating level that has long-lasting dimensions.  The smooth force of this percussive action allows one to free both superficial connective tissue and the deep fascia.

 

When the head of the percussor is applied to the body, those vibrations affect the soft tissues and joints underlying it.  This device is very effective at reducing muscular tension, but more importantly, it helps restore full range of motion to the fascia.  

 

Fascia is a type of soft tissue that lines everything inside the body, and it is what allows for motion of the muscles, organs, blood vessels, and more.  Without fascia, nothing in the body would be able to move past the other internal parts.  Over time, the fascia can become restricted by an accumulation of scar tissue.  This scar tissue has various causes: from injuries to surgeries, or even repetative fine motions.  This restriction is refered to as a myofascial adhesion (the prefix "myo" means muscle, so myofascia is fascia surrounding the muslces).  With the application of the percussor, these adhesions are broken up, freeing up the fascia to move properly.  The extent of this release can be much more far reaching than one would expect, because if one area is restricted, the rest of the soft tissue in the area will have to compensate for its lack of motion.