Understanding Fasciculation: More Than Just a Muscle Twitch, it's a Sign of Release in Myofascial Therapy

Have you ever felt a small, spontaneous twitch in your eyelid or another muscle? That's likely a fasciculation, also commonly known as a muscle twitch. These involuntary muscle contractions and relaxations, involving fine muscle fibers, are quite common during a massage, especially during myofascial release (MFR) treatment. While they can be associated with more serious conditions, the majority of fasciculations are benign. They demonstrate that the muscle fibers can release after experiencing chronic tension for a period of time. If you feel a twitch or two after your MFR treatment, this is an indication that your treatment was effective.

Holding with gentle, sustained pressure helps release connective tissues

What Causes These Twitches?

Fasciculations have various causes. Risk factors include age, stress, fatigue, and strenuous exercise. They can also be caused by anxiety, caffeine, alcohol, thyroid disease, and certain medications like anticholinergic drugs or stimulants such as pseudoephedrine and albuterol. Sometimes, multiple factors together can combine to trigger them, like a slight magnesium deficiency combined with caffeine. If anyone has told you to eat a banana when your eye is twitchy, now you know why. They are telling you to up your magnesium intake (Not to mention bananas are also high in potassium. The potassium pump is the biochemical process that drives the electrical gradient across cell membranes, therefore, it's the mechanism that assists nerve impulse transmission and neurotransmitter release).

Fasciculation in Myofascial Release: A Sign of Letting Go

While often perceived as just a random twitch, in the context of myofascial release therapy fasciculation can signify a profound release.

The technique I use on the massage table is intentional breathing while stimulating proprioceptors (sensors that tell the brain about muscle position). I will encourage a client to inhale through their nose, balloon the muscle out and bring blood flow to the area. If you've ever been on my massage table, you've heard me say, "Meet me on the inside." When this happens, a unique phenomenon can occur. During the long exhale out the mouth (especially with a low, vibrating sound to try to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system) you might feel the fascia twitch and then let go at the bottom of the long exhale. This moment is explicitly called "Fasciculating. Fasiculation" in this therapeutic context. Here, fasciculation isn't just a random twitch; it's a desired outcome, indicating that the fascia is releasing tension, smoothing out, and softening.

The Deeper Benefits of Massage Therapy

This release felt during MFR contributes to the broader benefits of massage. Massage therapy is commonly sought for pain reduction and management, as it works on relaxing unnecessarily tense muscles. It can serve as a natural alternative to heavy-duty pain medications and can be targeted to specific areas.

Beyond direct muscle relaxation, research indicates that massage therapy offers significant cellular benefits. Massage techniques and MFR activate mechanotransduction signaling pathways and mitigate inflammation by reducing inflammatory cytokines. At around the 3-minute mark, holding connective tissue releases interluken-8, interluken-5, and other anti-inflammatants.

Massage is widely used for stress treatment and anxiety reduction. When the nervous system isn't signaling discomfort anymore, your anxiety levels can be lowered, making massage a potentially "transformational" experience. It also helps increase range of motion and flexibility, which are crucial for athletes and general mobility. The four main outcomes of massage therapy include:

1. relaxation and well-being,

2. stress management,

3. pain management, and

4. functional mobility.

   
   

Seeking Myofascial Release and Massage Therapy

Despite the clear benefits, many people don't regularly experience massage therapy. If you're considering massage therapy, including myofascial release, for muscle tension, pain, or stress, remember that it's a powerful tool for your health and well-being. Professional massage therapists are trained in various modalities and can create customized treatment plans to address your specific needs.

To learn more about the benefits of massage and upcoming news, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter.