When people are in pain, they often assume that any form of relief must require effort. More pressure. More movement. More intensity. But with fascia, the path to release is actually very different.
Over the years, both as a patient and as a myofascial release therapist, I have learned repeatedly that fascia responds not to force, but to time, attention, and gentle sustained input.
Understanding why requires looking at fascia as a living system rather than a structure that needs to be stretched or manipulated.
Fascia is a Living, Responsive Tissue
Fascia is a continuous connective tissue network that surrounds and connects everything in the body. Muscles, nerves, organs, and bones are all embedded within it. This network is not passive. It adapts constantly to how we move, how we breathe, how we sit, and how we experience stress or injury.
When the body is exposed to repetitive strain, prolonged postures, inflammation, trauma, or reduced movement, fascia can lose some of its natural elasticity and glide. Over time, this can create restrictions that affect movement, posture, and pain, sometimes far away from the original source.
To better understand what fascia is and how it functions as a whole body system, you can explore our introduction to fascia.
Why More Pressure Is Not Always Better
Many common self care approaches focus on intensity. Stretching, deep massage, foam rolling, and aggressive techniques are often used with the intention of breaking through tension.
In some cases, these methods can provide temporary relief. But they frequently fail to create lasting change in myofascial tissue.
When pressure is too strong or applied too quickly, the nervous system may perceive it as a threat. Instead of releasing, the body protects itself. The fascia tightens. Breathing changes. The tissue resists.
This often leads to short lived results, soreness without improvement, or the feeling of needing to repeat the same techniques over and over.
Fascia Responds to Time and Safety
Fascia responds best when the body feels safe. Gentle, sustained pressure gives the nervous system time to settle, allowing deeper layers of tissue to respond without resistance.
Rather than forcing a release, this approach allows the tissue to soften gradually and melt. Subtle changes occur within the extracellular matrix, hydration improves, and the body regains its ability to adapt and move with ease.
These changes are usually not immediate or dramatic, although they sometimes are! They unfold slowly, often beneath conscious awareness.
What Happens to the Body When We Wait
When we stay in one place long enough, the body begins to respond in ways that simply do not happen when we rush. After a few minutes of gentle, sustained pressure, the fascia itself begins to soften from the inside: research shows that around three to five minutes, changes occur within the ground substance of the fascia, and the body starts producing natural anti inflammatory molecules.
As we continue to wait, the effects deepen. Longer holds, closer to four to ten minutes, have been associated with changes in immune activity, including an increase in lymphocytes, which play an important role in how the body regulates inflammation and healing. This is why time matters so much in myofascial work. Rushing from one area to another may feel like we're productive, but it often prevents these deeper processes from taking place.
Waiting also gives the nervous system time to settle, allowing the tissue to move out of protection and into adaptation. This is when releases becomes more lasting. Not because we forced it, but because we allowed the body the time it needed to respond.
A Different Way of Relating to Pain
Gentle, sustained pressure invites a different relationship with pain and tension. One based on patience, curiosity, and respect for the body’s capacity to adapt.
Rather than overriding symptoms, this approach works with the body and supports changes that are more durable and meaningful over time.
If you would like to explore this method further, our illustrated self care guide was created to help you apply gentle, sustained pressure safely and effectively at home, even if you are new to myofascial release.