Hello

My name is Shannon Runion. I am a native Texan and grew up in the suburbs of DFW, but feel more at home in the hill country where I have lived with my SA-native husband, daughter, and 2 dogs since 2014. I graduated with honors from UT Austin in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and received my Masters of Physical Therapy from Texas Woman's University - Houston in 2003. I have 20 years experience as a physical therapist in a variety of settings and am a Certified Lymphedema Therapist through the Dr. Vodder School. I more recently trained as a massage therapist after finding my true passion with the therapeutic benefits of John F. Barnes myofascial release in my own healing journey.

My Story

I've always loved exercise and being active, especially running. I ran a half marathon many years ago, but my attempt to run a full marathon was thwarted when my entire right leg began to swell and grow bigger and bigger the more I trained and ran. I was diagnosed with primary lymphedema in 2005 and my life significantly changed. I could no longer run or exercise because it made my leg uncomfortably swell despite having excellent lymphedema treatment and wearing a compression garment (looking back I was doing the wrong kind of exercise for my lymphatic system at that time). I no longer had an outlet to help keep my mental health in check and my body suffered as it slowly grew tighter and tighter, spreading like a vine over time.

Fast forward to 2015 and I was I was physically and emotionally burned out from working in traditional physical therapy jobs, although I love helping people. I was introduced to John F. Barnes myofascial release (MFR) and I immediately knew this was a very different approach from anything else I had ever learned. I couldn't explain it intellectually but my body knew it was right as nothing was every forced and I felt safe in the hands of qualified, caring therapists. As I took numerous courses and received personal treatment, it felt as if MFR was the missing piece of the puzzle in my professional life (I would later learn how much it has impacted my personal life as well). I was so out of tune with my body and couldn't even tell you what it was that I needed, but the wonderful MFR colleagues that I had connected with were able to find these fascial restrictions and at the same time help support me in releasing emotional trauma that I was storing in some of these areas.

We all have fascia- it's the connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, lymphatic vessel, bone, nerve fiber and muscle in place. Fascia infuses every part of our being down to the cellular level. It connects yet separates everything in our body similar to the white covering of an orange after removing the outer orange peel. In a healthy state, fascia is fluid, flexible, and it stretches/moves with you. When fascia is restricted you may feel tightness, pain, heaviness, restricted motion and/or weakness. Fascial restrictions are caused by trauma, poor posture, inflammatory responses, and/or surgical procedures and do not show up on any x-rays, MRI's or other imaging. These restrictions have been shown to exert up to 2,000 lbs of pressure per square inch and it doesn't budge with forceful treatment. While I received excellent training from PT school, MFR completely changed my thought process in that it addresses the whole person and the mind/body complex. With MFR, we are taught to treat the pain but look elsewhere for the cause. MFR helped my body to remember and process past experiences that were creating tightness and fascial restrictions making me feel as if I were solidified and heavy. I received MFR treatment and have taken many courses (and many repeats) which has helped my life change for the better both physically and emotionally, although it was a rough and bumpy ride at times. In my training, I have come to realize the impact that fascial restrictions in my pelvis and abdomen were limiting my ability to take a deep breath and restricting lymphatic flow from my swollen leg, similar to someone stepping on a garden hose and restricting the flow of water. As I continue to receive treatment and perform self MFR as one of the many components in managing my lymphedema, I realize how closely interrelated the lymphatic system and the myofascial system are to each other.

I use myofascial release to help many conditions such as back pain, headaches, neck pain, sports injuries, chronic pain, fibromyalgia and painful scars, but I love combining MFR with lymphatic drainage to help my patients with lymphedema and/or painful scar tissue from surgery lessen their pain, regain motion, improve their lymphedema symptoms and improve their quality of life. In 2020, I obtained my massage therapy license from RiverCity Massage School in San Antonio to focus more on health and wellness so that I can bring MFR directly to my patients without the need for a referral from a healthcare provider (which is required for my limited direct access physical therapy license in Texas). I started my PT career working for a very large hospital system in a big city, but I truly thrive in giving you the best possible one-on-one care in a much smaller and more personal setting in order to help your life BLOOM! I look forward to meeting you & helping you achieve a painfree, active life again!