Myofascial Decompression (MFD)
What is Myofascial Decompression (MFD)
At CS Mind and Body, Myofascial Decompression (MFD) is a modern, movement-based therapy designed to restore healthy movement, reduce pain and improve how your muscles and fascia work together.
MFD uses specialised cups to create gentle negative pressure, lifting and decompressing the skin, fascia and underlying soft tissues. Unlike traditional cupping, this is not a passive treatment. The cups are combined with intentional movement, stretching or light resistance to help retrain the body and improve function.
You can think of MFD as soft tissue decompression with movement — helping restricted tissues glide more freely while your body actively relearns efficient movement patterns.
Benefits of MFD
Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds muscles, joints and organs. Injury, stress, poor posture or repetitive training can cause it to become stiff or restricted, limiting movement and contributing to pain.
In athletes, pain is often felt in one area while the real issue sits somewhere else. A tight or painful hamstring, for example, isn’t always a hamstring problem. In sports such as GAA, repeated sprinting, jumping and reaching for the ball can leave the glutes vulnerable if the lateral fascial sling isn’t functioning as it should. When this happens the hamstrings often take on more load than they’re designed for, increasing the risk of strain or recurring tightness.
MFD allows us to look beyond the sore spot and address the underlying movement pattern that’s causing the issue in the first place.
By lifting the tissue rather than pressing down on it, MFD:
Decompresses tight or restricted layers of fascia
Improves blood flow and lymphatic drainage
Reduces protective muscle guarding
Enhances communication between the nervous system and muscles
During treatment, cups may remain in place while you move, or be gently repositioned as your range of motion improves.
Movement-Based & Muscle Re-Education
In some sessions, movement is a key part of the treatment — because releasing tissue without teaching the body how to use it again often leads to the same problem coming back.
You may be guided through light resistance exercises or controlled movements while the cups are applied. This is done intentionally to:
- Re-educate muscles that are under-active or over-working
- Improve coordination and movement awareness
- Reinforce efficient, pain-free movement patterns
- Reduce overload on vulnerable tissues
- Poor circulation or lymphatic stagnation.
- Injury recovery and rehabilitation.
- Supporting overall recovery and relaxation.
The weights used are light and purposeful. The focus is not strength training, but restoring confident, efficient movement that carries over into sport.
What to expect in your session.
Before your session, you’ll complete a brief online form so we can tailor treatment to your goals — whether it’s recovery, pain relief or improving mobility.
Once we’ve identified the target areas and done any necessary assessment, we’ll carefully apply either plastic cups based on your needs.
After a quick assessment, cups are placed on key areas of the body and you’ll be guided through controlled movements or gentle resistance work. You might feel a pulling or lifting sensation as the tissues decompress — this is where the magic happens!
Each session is designed to help your body reset and restore balance. You’ll likely leave feeling looser, lighter and more mobile.
What about the Marks
One of the most common questions about this type of treatment is, “Will it leave marks?” The answer is: possibly! The circular marks left by MFD are not bruises but the result of broken capillaries under the skin.
They typically fade within 3–7 days and with regular treatments, the marks often become less noticeable.