Myofascial release therapy Helps people with chronic pain return to an active lifestyle
We empower clients to make meaningful changes in their health and in their life
Pacific Myofascial Release specializes in and only provides the “Barnes” style of Myofascial Release Therapy (MFR).
What is myofascial release Therapy (MFR)?
MFR is a safe, gentle, and highly effective body-work therapy for treating pain.
MFR is a hands-on technique that applies gentle, sustained pressure for several minutes in targeted areas of the body to facilitate the release of tension in your fascial system. Your fascial system supports and protects you, but restrictions in it can cause chronic pain and reduce the ability for movement. There are no oils or lotions, and generally clients wear shorts and a sports bra/tank top (if applicable) during the treatment session.
Chronic pain can be coming from any number of sources: stress, health conditions, new and old injuries, surgery, trauma, posture, holding patterns, overuse/misuse doing activities that you enjoy, emotions, or perhaps your chronic pain remains unexplained.
MFR treatments are individualized for each person, first treating your symptoms to bring you some much-needed relief, but then seeking to find and release the cause of the pain - which might be in a different location of the body. We look beyond the immediate pain or diagnosis and over time clients experience more effective results.
Just a quick note that our style of MFR is NOT any of these other treatments that can also be referred to as ‘myofascial release’: deep tissue, trigger point, foam rollers, scraping, ART, structural integration, or massage.
Is MFR right for me?
Our MFR clients want to have less pain. Maybe even no pain.
Our MFR clients want to be able to do activities they used to do but cannot now.
Our MFR clients want to feel better, live better, and value taking care of themselves.
Our MFR clients are open-minded and take an active role in their healing journey - they aren’t looking to be “fixed.” They become more present in their body and listen to what it has to say.
We help clients with pain who truly want to get better at a deeper level. They want to find and address the real cause of their pain and are done treating just the symptoms.
The immediate pain or diagnosis that brings you in for treatment is probably not the real issue anyway - otherwise the problem would have been fixed with everything else you’ve already tried. There is a whole lifetime or injury, overuse, stress, and trauma that is at play in the body.
We also help clients who value wellness and simply want to feel good as they move through their life.
Many clients begin treatment for chronic or acute pain, but choose to keep MFR treatments a regular part of their life even after they are better, to facilitate wellbeing and injury prevention. As one client said, “it just feels good to feel good!”
What is an mfr session like at Pacific Myofascial release?
At Pacific Myofascial Release, our clients have 75-minute appointments.
In the first 5-10 minutes, we check in about any of these things:
how you’re feeling right now
where do you feel any discomfort
what has come up since the last treatment
anything that has changed in your awareness
This is where you really have the opportunity to share and make the most of your healing process. Maybe since your last treatment, you had a memory surface that is at play in your body. Maybe you're reading one of our recommended books and want to talk about something that caught your attention. Maybe you discovered a pattern from your posture, work, or activity that isn’t helping your goals and want to bring it up for treatment. Whatever has come up, this time for conversation before your treatment is an opportunity to show up for yourself and get the healing that you came for.
Next, we are going to turn our focus to the work at hand:
“How is this showing up in your body? What are you feeling?”
Using that information, then we get started with MFR.
During the session, clients get 60 minutes of myofascial release treatment that is purely focused on you.
The more present you are in your body and FEEL, and the more you are willing to be open-minded and curious, the greater the opportunity you have for change.
MFR is a hands-on therapy, and there are release techniques for whatever shows up during the session as pain, tightness, or discomfort in the body. It’s common for clients after their first visit to remark how gentle the work is… but… also that it’s completely different than anything they’ve tried before. Most of the session is done without socializing, and you are strongly encouraged to share out what you’re feeling as it arises. The most effective MFR treatments occur when we truly listen to what your body has to say. Intuition is very welcomed.
The last 5 minutes of your appointment allows time for you to ask any questions that might have come up, as well as learn about self-treatment and self-care.
Most clients purchase packages and come for treatment weekly.
Owner and therapist Kristin Kunzelman is an Expert-Level MFR Practitioner.
Kristin first experienced MFR as a client recovering from three neck injuries. Years later, she trained alongside John Barnes and attended MFR trainings around the country to become an expert-level therapist. During your session, she is solely focused on you and your treatment, she asks you questions to learn about your experience, and listens to the things you have to say.
how long will it take?
The body heals on its own timeline - we have no idea how long it will take! However, we can guarantee you that at every session we will continue to work through the layers of healing to help you find true relief over time.
Many people have had their pain or discomfort for years and years - it may not be realistic to think that it can be undone in a few sessions. You’ll know within 6 sessions if MFR is a helpful modality for your needs. Some clients have relief after 6-12 sessions while others continue treatment for several months or longer to achieve their goals.
Clients who regularly come in 1-2 times a week experience the most benefits.
DO YOU TAKE INSURANCE?
This is the most common question that we get phone calls about. We do not take insurance or advise you how to seek reimbursement. However, we can provide you with a receipt of payment and/or services that you are welcome to submit to your insurance company.
Your First Session
When you begin treatment at Pacific Myofascial Release, we will spend time talking about your goals and discussing your health history.
We want to be aware of anatomical things going on in your body - your past injuries, surgeries, conditions, diagnoses and current symptoms. It’s helpful to list as much as you can on your forms - sometimes your past accidents and surgeries never fully healed or have scarring, which can cause restrictions in your body.
We also really want to understand your goals. Is your pain keeping you from work? Keeping you from showing up as your best self? Maybe an activity you love to do has become painful and you miss doing that activity? Or maybe you’ve always had chronic pain and now you’re ready for change and a new way of experiencing your life.
Many of our clients come in with one goal and it shifts as they start receiving myofascial release therapy. Some clients didn’t realize that MFR could help so many aspects of their health - or didn’t believe they could get better and now they realize it is possible. Some clients have past trauma, and as treatment progresses they decide that they want to get past the effects of that experience.
MFR increases mind-body awareness. As our treatments progress, we learn to get quiet, be present, and breathe… We start to perceive how we feel in a new way, we start to view pain in a new way. We start to see the impact on our body from our activities and work. We also might learn how emotions show up in the body - they (stress, worry, anxiety, etc) have a feel to them, can be described, and show up in specific locations in your body.
Changes in our awareness add new dimensions to our healing process.
“Without awareness, there is no choice”
As clients increase their awareness, often they start to make new intentional choices. They have their goals, they are seeing results, and they choose a new way of doing something in their life. This can look like many different things:
taking care of themselves
self-treatment in between appointments
setting up better ergonomics for work, driving, etc.
developing patience with their healing process
being intentional with their movement and exercise
choosing feeling well instead of running themselves into the ground with work and stress
And often, these new choices bring even more awareness, which leads us to a new layer of how things are showing up in the body, which leads to even better health…
Pacific Myofascial Release is located in the San Francisco Bay Area. We are in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco Airport on the peninsula, off of highway 101.
About Kristin Kunzelman
Owner of Pacific Myofascial Release
Expert Level MFR Therapist
Kristin Kunzelman is dedicated to helping others overcome their chronic pain so that they can enjoy their life more fully. She helps clients with their immediate needs as well as achieving their long-term goals. She believes in striving to find and release the cause of your pain, rather than just temporarily helping your symptoms. Kristin connects with her clients, truly listens to them to understand their goals, and facilitates a unique process for each client to achieve their own improved health and well-being. She loves helping clients of all ages, from newborns to retirees, and would love to help YOU!
Having experienced three neck injuries in five years, she understands the impact that chronic pain can have on your life. She was an MFR patient for five years before she became a therapist; she knows the ups and downs, the frustrations and set-backs, and the wins and happiness when you get back to being who you want to be. Not only did MFR help her get back to work and doing the activities she enjoys without pain, it also developed into a meaningful journey in health and awareness. MFR changed her life.
Kristin connects with the saying, “Healing is a process, not an event.” She truly believes that the body can and wants to heal itself, and views her role as a facilitator in this process. She views this work as a partnership with her clients, and listens to what they and their bodies have to say.
Kristin specializes in and only provides the John F. Barnes approach to myofascial release therapy. She regularly attends MFR seminars around the country to continue her education, and has studied alongside John F. Barnes P.T. and the expert practitioners at his treatment center in Sedona, AZ.
To date, her MFR coursework includes:
MFR 1, MFR 2, MFR 3
Fascial-Pelvis, Cervical-Thoracic, Fascial Cranium
Pediatrics, Mobilizations, Rebounding
Unwinding, Advanced Unwinding
Subtle Energy, Quantum Leap
Skill Enhancement Seminar
Therapy for the Therapist
In addition to her training in Myofascial Release Therapy, Kristin attended the University of Puget Sound for her undergraduate work (Music Education), University of Colorado at Boulder for her Masters degree (Music Education, Jazz Studies, K-12 Teaching Credential), and San Francisco School of Massage & Bodywork (CA CMT License).
Prior to becoming a Myofascial Release Therapist, Kristin taught music at all levels in both the public schools and in the non-profit industry where she also taught music teachers. Kristin continues to play flute in community orchestras and study piano. Outside of work and music, Kristin loves to travel, hike, practice yoga, and cook.
Our Top Book Recommendations
A Patient’s Guide to Understanding Myofascial Release
by Cathy Covell
An easy to read book that provides “simple answers to frequently asked questions” about MFR.
Waking the Tiger; Healing Trauma
by Peter A. Levine
Explains trauma, the freeze response, and what happens if the healing process isn’t able to complete.
Healing Ancient Wounds
by John F. Barnes
A much deeper dive into Myofascial Release with a little bit of everything: process, science, testimonials, stories, and other helpful information for the healing journey.
Comprehensive Myofascial Self Treatment
by Joyce Karnis
A resource to continue care on your own between treatments. Provides explanations, photos, MFR stretches, work with props such as a therapy ball which we provide to regular clients on packages.