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7.  Effects of Myofascial Release Leg Pull and Sagittal Plane Isometric Contract-Relax
Techniques on Passive Straight-Leg Raise Angle                                             
8.  Cranial Osteopathy: Its Fate Seems Clear                  
For some words from the opposing viewpoints, these two links are articles from Massage Today
Magazine  
Link 1  Link 2
9.  Diagnosis and treatment of TMJ, head, neck and asthmatic symptoms in children.
25.  Sinusitis in Children: The Importance of Diagnosis and Treatment  
26.  Influences of Craniosacral Therapy on the Health and Development of Infants and Young Children  
27.  Botulinum Toxin for Myofascial Pain  Identifies Myofascial Release as a part of a post-botulinum injection therapy regime for myofascial pain
28.  Improving Physical Function and Blood Pressure in Older Adults Through Cobblestone Mat Walking: A Randomized
Trial
29.  Treatment of Patients with Arthritis-Related Pain  
31.  Chronic Pelvic Pain
31.  Chronic Pelvic Pain - Part 2: An Integrated management Approach  
32. Listed here are six thesis/dissertation references (note, these citations are not abstracts or full citations, they are listings of available
theses/dissertations that have been written)
: Effects of myofascial release on strength of the quadriceps femoris muscle group, The
theory and evidence for myofascial release: a review of literature, The effect of myofascial release on cervical range of
motion and perceived exertion, A comparison of myofascial release and ultrasound in the treatment of musculoskeletal
pain, The effects of myofascial release on forward head posture, The efficacy of myofascial release intervention on anterior
pelvic tilt posture.
33. Massage therapy and restless legs syndrome
34. Atlas vertebra realignment and achievement of arterial pressure goal in hypertensive patients: a pilot study
35. Reversible pelvic asymmetry: an overlooked syndrome manifesting as scoliosis, apparent leg-length difference, and
neurologic symptoms
36. Myofascial release provides symptomatic relief from chest wall tenderness occasionally seen following lumpectomy and
radiation in breast cancer patients
37. Early Rehabilitation Improves Extremity Function and Decreases Postoperative Complications in Cancer Patients
Undergoing Modified Radical Mastectomy (MRM): A Preliminary Report
38. The Role of Physical Therapy in the Rehabilitation of Patients with Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction
 
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49. Therapeutic Effect on the Change of Gait Performance in Chronic Calf Myofascial Pain Syndrome A Time Series
Case Study
 
50. Musculoskeletal Problems in The Female Athlete: Patellofemoral Pain
 
51. Listed here are a few studies and papers by Alvar Pascual-Leone, MD PhD, regarding the nueuroplastic changes
in the brain.
The first Link is to an article by Peter Levine, in PT Advance, regarding Pascual-Leone's study and how a subject "sees" with her
fingertips. The second link is to a paper by Pascual-Leone and Hamilton, which covers a wide range of research on related areas of neuroplasticity.
The third and fourth links provide additional background. I a hypothesizing that this information leads us to a better understanding of how we, as
MFR therapists, learn to "see" with our hands.
Link 1   Link 2   Link 3   Link 4
 
52. The First Annual Fascia Research Congress's webpage lists dozens of research citations relevant to the field of
Myofascial Release.
Link
53. Bioelectric Responsiveness of Fascia: A Model for Understanding the Effects of Manipulation (Techniques in
Orthopaedics. 18(1):67-73, March 2003.)
Link
54. The Role of Connective Tissue as the Physical Medium for the Conduction of Healing Energy in Acupuncture and
Rolfing®
Link
55. Effectiveness of Myofascial Release in Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis: A RCT "Experimental group showed more
improvement in terms of both pain relief and in functional ability. This can be attributed to myofascial release which experimental group received in
addition to conventional treatment."
Link
56. Soft tissue mobilisation following free TRAM breast reconstruction: A case report
Link
57. Physical Therapy for Infertility. From PT Advance, Vol. 19 •Issue 10 • Page 32
Link
58. An integral theory of female urinary incontinence. Experimental and clinical considerations. (from the abstract)
"Altered collagen/elastin in the vaginal connective tissue and/or its ligamentous supports may cause laxity. This dissipates the muscle contraction,
causing stress incontinence, and/or activation of an inappropriate micturition reflex, ("bladder instability") by stimulation of bladder base stretch
receptors. The latter is manifested by symptoms of frequency, urgency, nocturia with or without urine loss."
Link
59. Connective tissue in female urinary incontinence.
Link
60. Different organization of collagen fibrils in stress-incontinent women of fertile age. "CONCLUSION: Stress urinary
incontinence in fertile women is associated with a change in collagen metabolism resulting in an increased concentration of collagen and larger collagen
fibrils. These alterations should result in a more rigid form of extracellular matrix, suggesting a connective tissue with impaired mechanical function."
Link
61. Changes of collagen type III and decorin in paraurethral connective tissue from women with stress urinary
incontinence and prolapse.
"The results suggest that a high level of decorin mRNA might be associated with the reduced content of collagen
type III, resulting in a less flexible form of extracellular matrix in the connective tissue in SUI and prolapse patients."
Link
62. The pathophysiology of stress urinary incontinence in women and its implications for surgical treatment.
Link
63. Effects of myofascial release after high-intensity exercise: a randomized clinical trial
Link
64. Glucosamine, Chondroitin Sulfate, and the Two in Combination for Painful Knee Osteoarthritis From the New
England Journal of Medicine
Link
65. Glucosamine for Arthritis: The Evidence Is Conflicting, by Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Link
66. Weight loss without dietary restriction: Efficacy of different forms of aerobic exercise, by Grant Gwinup, MD
Compares swimming, stationary bike use, and walking and their effects on weight loss. Of note is that swimming was the least productive means of
weight loss noted in this study.
Link
67. Comparison of leg length inequality measurement methods as estimators of the femur head height difference on
standing X-ray.
Compares supine vs. prone assessment of leg length and finds prone measurement more accurate.
Link
68. Therapeutic Effect on the Change of Gait Performance in Chronic Calf Myofascial Pain Syndrome A Time Series
Case Study
Link
69. Etiology of Idiopathic Scoliosis: Current Trends in Research
Link
70. Subcutaneous Tissue Mechanical Behavior is Linear and Viscoelastic Under Uniaxial Tension
Link
71. Strain-induced reorientation of an intramuscular connective tissue network: implications for passive muscle
elasticity
Link
72. Collagen Orientation and Molecular Spacing During Creep and Stress-Relaxation in Soft Connective Tissues
Link
73. Fibroblasts form a body-wide cellular network
Link
74. Shifts in Pelvic Inclination Angle and Parasympathetic Tone Produced by Rolfing  Soft Tissue Manipulation
Link
75. The Effects of Manual Therapy on Connective Tissue
Link
76. Incidence of foot rotation, pelvic crest unleveling, and supine leg length alignment asymmetry and their
relationship to self-reported back pain
Link
77. Effectiveness of osteopathy in the cranial field and myofascial release versus acupuncture as complementary
treatment for children with spastic cerebral palsy: a pilot study
Link
78.  Estimation of influence of myofascial release techniques on esophageal pressure in patients after total
laryngectomy
Link
79. Osteopathic manipulative treatment and its relationship to autonomic nervous system activity as demonstrated
by heart rate variability: a repeated measures study
Link
80. Letter to the Editor not referring to a recently published article: Women Pay Attention to Shoe Heels: Besides
Causing Schizophrenia They Might Affect Your Pelvic Floor Muscle Activity!!
Link
81. Craniosacral therapy for migraine: Protocol development for an exploratory controlled clinical trial (Full text
article)
Link
82. Helping to Relieve the Pain of Post-Surgical Breast Cancer with Myofascial/Craniosacral Techniques
Link
83. Prevalence of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis
Link
84. PELVIC FLOOR MYOFASCIAL TRIGGER POINTS: MANUAL THERAPY FOR INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS AND
THE URGENCY-FREQUENCY SYNDROME
Link
85. INTEGRATION OF MYOFASCIAL TRIGGER POINT RELEASE AND PARADOXICAL RELAXATION
TRAINING TREATMENT OF CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN IN MEN
Link
86. Modified Thiele massage as therapeutic intervention for female patients with interstitial cystitis and high-tone
pelvic floor dysfunction
Link
87. Alternative Approaches to the Management of Prostatitis: Biofeedback, Progressive Relaxation and the Concept
of Functional Somatic Syndromes
Link
88. Musculoskeletal Dysfunction in Men With Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome Type III: A Case-control Study
Link
89. The Pelvic Floor Paradox
Link
90. Complementary and Alternative Therapies as Treatment Approaches for Interstitial Cystitis
Link
91. Modified Thiele massage as therapeutic intervention for female patients with interstitial cystitis and high-tone
pelvic floor dysfunction
Link
92. Complementary and Alternative Therapies as Treatment Approaches for Interstitial Cystitis (full text)
Link
93. Rehabilitation of the short pelvic floor. I: Background and patient evaluation
Link
94. Dispelling the myth: strengthening the abdominals will support a weak back (note: you may get an Internet
Explorer warning alert when you visit this site. I had no problems once I proceeded) The article is the second one
shown on the page.
Link
95. Physical Therapy and Pudendal Nerve Entrapment
Link
96. Massage Therapy Protocol for Post–Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome:
A Case Report.
Link
97. Effects of the myofascial release in diffuse systemic sclerosis.  
Link
98. Simultaneous Palpation of the Craniosacral Rate at the Head and Feet: Intrarater and Interrater Reliability and
Rate Comparisons
Link
99. Interexaminer Reliability and Cranial Osteopoathy.
Link
100. Rehabilitation of the Stability Function of Psoas Major
Link
101. Stress Urinary Incontinence – A Consequence of Failed Load Transfer Through the Pelvis?
Link
102. The Basic Science of Myofascial Release
Link
103. Myofascial Release - An Introduction for the Patient
Link
104. Fibromyalgia: a disorder of the brain?
Link
105. Treating endometriosis pain with a manual pelvic physical therapy
Link
106. Myofibroblasts and Mechanoregulation of Connective Tissue Remodeling
Link
107. Factors predisposing women to chronic pelvic pain: systematic review
Link
108. The Twin Spine Study: Contributions to a changing view of disc degeneration
Link
109. Three-Dimensional Mathematical Model for Deformation of Human Fasciae in Manual Therapy (full text)
Link
110. Considering wider myofascial involvement as a possible contributor to upper extremity dysfunction following
treatment for primary breast cancer
Link
111. Effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment and concentric and eccentric maximal-effort exercise on women
with multiple sclerosis: A pilot study
Link
112. Pathophysiological model for chronic low back pain integrating connective tissue and nervous system
mechanisms
Link
113. Effects of Myofascial Release on Increasing Function
Link
114. The Role of Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy in the Treatment of Pelvic and Genital Pain-Related Sexual
Dysfunction
Link
115. Treatment of women in the United States with localized, provoked vulvodynia: practice survey of women's
health physical therapists
Link
116. The Role of Physical Therapy in Female Sexual Dysfunction
Link
117. The Effect of Osteopathic Treatment of Cesarean Section Scars on Pelvic Muscle Strength
Link
118. Psychophysiological Effects of Massage-Myofascial Release After Exercise: A Randomized Sham-Control Study
Link
119. Chronic pelvic pain: Pelvic floor problems, sacroiliac dysfunction and the trigger point connection
Link
120. Frequency, urgency, and pelvic pain: Treating the pelvic floor versus the epithelium
Link
121. The Role of Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy in the Treatment of Pelvic and Genital Pain-Related Sexual
Dysfunction
Link
122. Estimation of influence of myofascial release techniques on esophageal pressure in patients after total
laryngectomy
Link
123. Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment of a 26-Year-Old Woman With Bell's Palsy
Link
124. Efficacy of myofascial release techniques in the treatment of primary Raynaud's phenomenon
Link
125. Research in Water and Fascia: Micro-tornadoes, hydrogenated diamonds & nanocrystals
Link
126. Dynamic fibroblast cytoskeletal response to subcutaneous tissue stretch ex vivo and in vivo
Link
127. Tensegrity I. Cell structure and hierarchical systems biology
Link
128. Tensegrity II. How structural networks influence cellular information processing networks
Link
129. European Fascia Research Project Report
Link
130. How cells (might) sense microgravity
Link
131. Fascial plasticity – a new neurobiological explanation: Part 1
Link
Walt Fritz, PT        Copyright 2007-2010
The research and other information presented here is directed
specifically toward Myofascial Release, as well as fascial work in
general. Many of the articles listed below directly cite Myofascial
Release as an important component of successful treatments. Others
offer the practitioner insight into aspects related to their work. I
continually am gathering research and related articles pertinent to the
field of Myofascial Release. As Internet information changes constantly,
if you find a link that is not working, please
email me to let me know.
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Please refer to my page on Vitamin D for more research and articles.

You can also find many articles on the
Somatics.de website on:
http://www.somatics.de/articlesprof.html   by Robert Schleip
Myofascial Release
Research
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132. Stability Ball Versus Office Chair: Comparison of Muscle Activation and Lumbar Spine Posture During
Prolonged Sitting
Link
133. Is Your Ab Workout Hurting Your Back?
Link
134. Warm up revisited – the ‘ramp’ method of optimising performance preparation
Link
135. Do Practical Durations of Stretching Alter Muscle Strength? A Dose-Response Study
Link
136. Myofascial release: an evidence-based treatment approach?
Link
137. Mathematical Analysis of Applied Loads on Skeletal Muscles During Manual Therapy
Link
138. Lumbopelvic Pain and Dyssynergic Defecation - Body Builder
Link
139. What is the role of a physiotherapist in palliative care? Cases report
Link
140. Rehabilitation of tibial eminence fracture
Link
141. Muscle Repositioning: A new verifiable approach to neuro-myofascial release?
Link
142. Why myofascial release will never be evidence-based
Link
143. Short-Term Hematologic and Hemodynamic Effects of Osteopathic Lymphatic Techniques: A Pilot Crossover
Trial
Link
144. Modeled Repetitive Motion Strain and Indirect Osteopathic Manipulative Techniques in Regulation of Human
Fibroblast Proliferation and Interleukin Secretion
Link
145. Immediate Effects of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment in Elderly Patients With Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease
Link
146. Importance of Strain Direction in Regulating Human Fibroblast Proliferation and Cytokine Secretion: A Useful
in Vitro Model for Soft Tissue Injury and Manual Medicine Treatments
Link
147. Influence of active scars in abdominal wall on abdominal and back muscles activity in chronic low back pain -
surface electromyography pilot study
Link
148. Identification of viscoelastic parameters of skin with a scar in vivo, influence of soft tissue technique on
changes of skin parameters
Link
149. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SPECIFIC PHYSIOTHERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR
DISORDERS
Link
150. Understanding Women’s Sexual Health: A Case-Based Approach
Link
151. Brachial Plexus Injuries in Neonates: An Osteopathic Approach
Link
152. Responses to article #151, from JOAO
Link
153. Understanding the Process of Fascial Unwinding
Link
154. Fascia Research II: Second International Fascia Research Congress
Link
155. Fascia Review
Link
156. The Architecture of the Connective Tissue in the Musculoskeletal System—An Often Overlooked Functional
Parameter as to Proprioception in the Locomotor Apparatus
Link
157. Pelvic Floor Myofascial Trigger Points: Manual Therapy for Interstitial Cystitis and Urgency/Frequency
Syndrome
Link
158. Put and End to Pelvic Pain
Link
159. Communicating About Fascia: History, Pitfalls, and Recommendations
Link
160. Fascia: A missing link in our understanding of the pathology of fibromyalgia
Link
161. Physical Therapy for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Link
162. Changes in Neck Mobility and Pressure Pain Threshold Levels Following a Cervical Myofascial Induction
Technique in Pain-Free Healthy Subjects
Link
163. Muscle functional magnetic resonance imaging and acute low back asymmetries and examine the effects of
osteopathic manipulative treatment
Link
164. Massage Therapy Protocol for Post–Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome:
A Case Report
Link
165. Influence of the Temporomandibular Joint on Range of Motion of the Hip Joint in Patients With Complex
Regional Pain Syndrome
Link
166. Dancers Restore Knee Flexion Through Dynamic Splinting
Link
167. Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of Osteoporosis-Related Fracture: A Multifactoral Osteopathic
Approach
Link
168. Dynamic splinting for knee flexion contracture following total knee arthroplasty: a case report
Link
169. Randomized Multicenter Feasibility Trial of Myofascial Physical Therapy for the Treatment of Urological
Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes
Link
170. Clinical and Research Protocol for Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment of Elderly Patients With Pneumonia
Link
171. Post-surgical care of a professional ballet dancer following calcaneal exostectomy and debridement with
re-attachment of the left Achilles tendon
Link
172. The Endocannabinoid System: An Osteopathic Perspective
Link
173. Overcoming Barriers to the Use of Osteopathic Manipulation Techniques in the Emergency Department
Link
174. Evidence-informed management of chronic low back pain with massage
Link
175. Functional and Chronic Anorectal and Pelvic Pain Disorders
Link
176. In Vitro Modeling of Repetitive Motion Strain and Manual Medicine Treatments: Potential Roles for Pro- and
Anti-Inflammatory Cytokines
Link
177. An investigation into the regulation of intra-cranial pressure and its influence upon the surrounding cranial
bones
Link
178. The pectoral fascia: anatomical and histological study
Link
179. Identification of viscoelastic parameters of skin with a scar in vivo, influence of soft tissue technique on
changes of skin parameters
Link
180. The migratory fascia hypothesis
Link
181. Communicating About Fascia: History, Pitfalls, and Recommendations
Link
182. The Architecture of the Connective Tissue in the Musculoskeletal System—An Often Overlooked Functional
Parameter as to Proprioception in the Locomotor Apparatus
Link
183. Fibromyalgia Symptoms Are Reduced by Low-Dose Naltrexone: A Pilot Study
Link
184. Advances in fibromyalgia treatment: understanding endogenous pain modulation
Link
185. Identification and Quantification of Myofascial Taut Bands With Magnetic Resonance Elastography (full text)
Link
186. Tensegrity and mechanoregulation: from skeleton to cytoskeleton
Link
187. Pelvic Floor Involvement in Male and Female Sexual Dysfunction and the Role of Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation in
Treatment: A Literature Review
Link
188. Physiotherapy Treatment of Sexual Pain Disorders
Link
189. Role of fascia in maintenance of muscle tension and pressure
Link
190. Reduced strength after passive stretch of the human plantarflexors
 
191. A collection of citations dispelling the myth that extra water is needed after massage/body work to flush the
toxins.
Link
192. Lower Extremity Injuries in College Athletes: Relation Between Ligamentous Laxity and Lower Extremity
Muscle Tightness
Link
193. Strength Around the Hip and Flexibility of Soft Tissues in Individuals With and Without Patellofemoral Pain
Syndrome
Link
194. Treatment of women in the United States with localized, provoked vulvodynia: practice survey of women's
health physical therapists
Link
195. Intrinsic Risk Factors For the Development of Anterior Knee Pain in an Athletic Population
Link
196. Flexibility and anterior knee pain in adolescent elite figure skaters
Link
197. Reduced strength after passive stretch of the human plantarflexors
Link
198. How does evidence on the diagnostic accuracy of the vertebral artery test influence teaching of the
test in a professional physical therapist education program?
Link
199. Everything You Know About Muscle is Wrong
Link
200. Physical Thoughts About structure: The Elasticity of fascia
Link
201. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine in asymptomatic adults.
Link
202. Prevalence of annular tears and disc herniations on MR images of the cervical spine in symptom free
volunteers
Link
203. Dead men and radiologists don't lie: a review of cadaveric and radiological studies of rotator cuff tear
prevalence
Link
204. Spinal Stenosis, Back Pain, or No Symptoms at All? A Masked Study Comparing Radiologic and
Electrodiagnostic Diagnoses to the Clinical Impression
Link
205. Pelvic Floor Muscle Assessment Outcomes in Women With and Without Provoked Vestibulodynia and the
Impact of a Physical Therapy Program
Link
206. Randomized multicenter feasibility trial of myofascial physical therapy for the treatment of urological chronic
pelvic pain syndromes
Link
207. Painful Bladder Syndrome (including interstitial cystitis)
Link
208. Fibromyalgia syndrome: a relevant recent construction of an ancient condition?
Link
209. The Communication of Emotion via Touch
Link
210. The fall of the postural–structural–biomechanical model in manual and physical therapies: Exemplified by
lower back pain
Link
211. The Myth of Core Stability
Link
212. Sustained Manual Loading of the Fascial System Can Evoke Tonic Reactions: Preliminary Results
Link
213. Muscle Repositioning: Combining Subjective and Objective Feedbacks in the Teaching and Practice of a Reflex-
Based Myofascial Release Technique
Link
214. The Fascial Manipulation Technique and Its Biomechanical Model: A Guide to the Human Fascial System
Link
215. Association of Leg-Length Inequality With Knee Osteoarthritis A Cohort Study
Link
A printable patient directed article of reference #215 is available here
 
216. The effectiveness of the McKenzie method in addition to first-line care for acute low back pain: a randomized
controlled trial
Link
217. Urinary and Anal Incontinence During Pregnancy and Postpartum: Incidence, Severity, and Risk Factors
Link
218. Massage Therapy and Frequency of Chronic Tension Headaches
Link
219. Fascia Research: Basic Science and Implications for Conventional and Complementary Health Care
Link
220. The Association between Obesity and the Prevalence of Low Back Pain in Young Adults
Link
221. The prevalence of low back pain and associations with body fatness, fat distribution and height
Link
222. Mechanisms causing effects of muscle position on proximo-distal muscle force differences in extra-muscular
myofascial force transmission
Link
223. Anatomical study of myofascial continuity in the anterior region of the upper limb
Link
224. Modulation of Fibroblast Morphology and Adhesion during Collagen Matrix Remodeling
Link
225. Fibrosis and intercellular collagen connections from four weeks of muscle strains
Link
226. Clinical Correlate of Brain SPECT Perfusion Abnormalities in Fibromyalgia
Link
227. Computer work and musculoskeletal disorders of the neck and upper extremity: A systematic review
Link
228. Free full text versions of past and present editions of the European Spine Journal
Link
229. Randomized Multicenter Feasibility Trial of Myofascial Physical Therapy for the Treatment of Urological
Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes