[Robin J Hughes]

I have been on 150mg of azathioprine for almost 8 years. It did take almost 10 months to affect mg but it does work. My neurologist monitors my liver functions which occasionally become elevated but then go back to normal. I’ve had no other side effects.

[Robin J Hughes]

I was asked to explain a bit more about mfr. My therapist trained under John Barnes who has refined the technique which is a manual therapy that releases restrictions in the muscles that causes tightness or dysfunction. Often when I try to swallow, I feel like all my muscles are like a chunk of cement. My therapist has me lie down in a darkened room in order to relax. She then uses her hands to apply pressure on a muscle and slowly relaxes the fascia which are fibers around our muscles that can constrict and feel like steel bands. Slowly she applies a stretch that sinks into the fascia, separates one from another until they release and their is no more restriction. Each stretch lasts about 5 minutes. My therapist works on whatever area I am having the most trouble with at the time. Sometimes she works on my neck and at other times she works inside my mouth to release my palate or my jaw or the base of my tongue. I know it sounds gross to have someone work inside your mouth but it is such a relief after it is done. I walk into the session with food going up my nose when I swallow and I leave the session with food going in the right direction. She also has performed the technique on the muscles that affect my breathing.
You might ask if this is really effective. I am a teacher who regularly works 60 hours a week. I have ivig every four weeks and swallow therapy (mfr) every two weeks. My students can tell the difference when I return to class from swallow therapy. My therapist has also taught me some techniques I can do on myself when mg allows me to.
There is one caveat, however. There are good therapists and there are other therapists who may have been trained in the technique but don’t have the “touch” and are only going through the motions.
I hope this helps

[Robin J Hughes]

Have any of you tried myofascial release (mfr)? Because of my difficulties swallowing, I was referred to a speech/swallow therapist who does mfr on the muscles involved in chewing/swallowing every two weeks. This allows me to swallow as well as move my tongue enough to move food down my esophagus instead of up into my nose. MFR has kept me from having to increase my medications and keeps me going until the next ivig.