Warren Trace loved sports. At 58, he noticed his years on the golf course had taken a toll on his body.

He learned he had plantar fasciitis, a heel disorder that affects the ligament that supports the arch of the foot.

It got so bad that it felt like “someone sticking a knife in [his] heel” whenever he tried to stand or walk in the morning.

“As you get up and go about your day the pain loosens up, but it’s very difficult to treat,” he said.

“It was suggested to me to go and see sports massage therapist Greg Ozarowski, who offers myofascial massage.

“I sought him out six months ago and after a couple of visits he took care of the heel pain that I had for two years.

“After one visit with Greg it was dramatically better and after the second visit it was completely gone.”

Myofascial release is a soft tissue therapy for the treatment of skeletal muscle immobility and pain.

Experts believe people store stress and tension in their muscles and connective tissue. It causes them to become stiff or locked and can result in extreme discomfort or pain.

Myofascial release uses stretches to get rid of the soreness.

Mr Ozarowski started offering the technique last year to his clients who played sports.

“A lot of people come to see me if they have a pain after an injury or want to improve their performance,” he said. “Sometimes I work with people who are preparing for the Olympics that year. They have an injury and need to get better results. They may have to swim or run more, but it hurts. They come when they need me to help them.”

Myofascial massage and stretch therapy help to loosen a person’s muscles so they have a greater range of movement.

“Take someone who is running, if that person’s fascia is tight then they lose out on performance,” he said.

“They actually have to push harder to go forward and their joints have a limited range of motion. You can run for some time, and then start to get aches and pains.

“This treatment involves releasing those trigger points. As a result, it reduces joint stiffness and increases spaces in the joint. After the stretch they are looser.”

Once mobility in the joint improves, so does a person’s balance and coordination, he said.

“I have done more than 100 treatments so far and it’s extremely effective,” he said. “My clients love it. I have regular clients who come once a week or every two weeks. After I stretch them they feel more efficient in walking and running and sleep better. They also don’t complain about the pain so much.

“One lady told me she used to have problems when trying to turn during the night. As a result she was struggling and waking up during her sleep. We did some stretches, now she sleeps well.

“A lot of people work excess hours at the office, a lot longer than eight hours, and the body doesn’t always respond well to that. It can get pain just from sitting on a chair because their posture is off. When you work hard, what also happens is you are tired and do less sport, so pain comes that way, too.”

Mr Ozarowski said he was attracted to massage because of its relaxation and healing properties.

He was trained in England, Canada and Poland, and has been practising for 17 years.

He said he liked that myofascial therapy could help people to reach their fitness goals — whether that be to run 5K or a marathon.

It can also help to reduce the risk of injury, he said.

In Mr Trace’s case it has not only greatly reduced his pain, but also helped him to perform better in certain sports.

He continues to see Mr Ozarowski because of problems with his knees, shoulders and back. Over time it has “really made a difference”, he said.

“When it comes to my golf I definitely feel looser, have more rotation and feel like I swing stronger, harder and faster.

“I can’t say it’s improved my game that much though. I might have to see a golf pro for that.”

For more information, e-mail greg@balaclinic.com or phone 292-4433.