Headache · neck pain
- ·A stiff neck that is uncomfortable to turn
- ·Frequent headaches and a heavy nape
- ·A neck that won’t turn when you wake up
- ·An upper back that always feels knotted
This kind of pain may come from the fascia
Very often, where the pain is felt and where it actually comes from are different places. This is called ‘referred pain’. Very often, where the pain is felt and where it actually comes from are different places. This is called ‘referred pain’.
Shoulder pain
- ·An arm that won’t lift, or feels stiff
- ·A throbbing shoulder that aches worst at night
- ·Pain that makes washing your hair a struggle
- ·Shoulders that feel heavy and knotted
Lower back · pelvic pain
- ·A sharp twinge when you bend forward
- ·Difficulty straightening your back
- ·Pelvic pain after childbirth
- ·A lower back that stiffens after long sitting
Arm · knee · foot pain
- ·Pain on the inside or outside of the elbow
- ·Fingers that often go numb
- ·Pain in the soles of the feet or the knees
- ·Numbness in the thighs, calves or toes
Why fascia?
Fascia — the hidden cause of pain
Fascia is a three-dimensional network of connective tissue that wraps and links muscles, bones, organs, nerves and blood vessels. Between its layers sits a lubricant, hyaluronic acid, which lets the fascia glide smoothly. When that lubrication fails, the fascia sticks to itself — ‘adhesions’ — bringing pain and restricted movement.
~250 million
The number of nerve endings in the fascia. More than the skin (~200 million) — not mere wrapping material, but the body’s largest sensory organ.
— Robert Schleip, Technical University of Munich Fascia Research Project
The fascia is dense with pain receptors. When adhesions form, nerve endings are compressed and chronic pain follows.
This pain is hard to place (referred pain) — where it hurts and where it comes from are often different.
3 layers
Superficial · deep · visceral fascia
16 papers
Peer-reviewed evidence base
The truth about unexplained pain
The hospital says nothing is wrong — so why does it hurt?
“The MRI came back normal” — if you’ve heard this, it is time to have your fascia checked.
01
MRI and CT cannot see the fascia.
Bones, cartilage and discs show clearly, but fascial adhesions are functional changes — they don’t register on standard imaging.
02
Conventional treatment centres on “structure”.
Orthopaedics focuses on abnormalities of bone and joint structure. If imaging shows nothing, you are judged “normal” — but functional problems in the fascia can only be confirmed by palpation and range-of-motion (ROM) assessment.
03
Where it hurts ≠ where it comes from (referred pain)
Pain carried by the fascia’s C fibres is hard to localise. If your shoulder hurts and only the shoulder is treated, the cause is missed. Obliv traces pain to its root.
Obliv's fascial therapy
Deeper because it is gentle — the science of a soft approach
The harder fascia is pressed, the harder it becomes — a defence mechanism. Obliv reaches the deep fascia with a gentle, evidence-based approach.
🫳
The oiling technique — reaching the deep fascia
Oil is used not for comfort but for precision. With skin friction removed, the therapist’s force is carried straight to the deep fascial layers rather than the surface. After a preliminary assessment fixes the target, we release gently along the grain of the fascia.
Stecco Fascial Manipulation — tangential oscillation raises HA fluid pressure (Roman et al., JAOA, 2013)
🔍
Referred-pain tracing — treatment that finds the cause
We look for the place that makes it hurt, not the place that hurts. Rather than pressing only where the pain is, we trace the true cause along the fascia’s full network, guided by the anatomy.
Fascial C fibres → convergence on spinal dorsal-horn WDR neurons → the brain misreads the source of pain (Schilder et al., Pain, 2014)
👩⚕️
State-certified physiotherapists throughout
Treatment is delivered 100% by nationally certified physiotherapists — specialists who understand the anatomy read your body and treat it. A female therapist treats you in a private room, so you can feel at ease.
22 individual treatment rooms across ≈660 m² — complete privacy
Combined treatment
Where needed, extracorporeal shock wave therapy is added
If fascial therapy releases fascial adhesions, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) promotes the regeneration of damaged tissue. The medical team decides whether to combine the two, according to your condition.
⚡
Micro-mechanical stimulation → self-healing switched on
1,000–1,500 shockwaves prompt the release of growth factors (five kinds, including VEGF and PDGF) and encourage new blood-vessel formation, accelerating the regeneration of damaged tissue.
🎯
Effective for chronic pain
Where healing has stalled — chronic pain lasting over 3 months, calcific tendinitis, plantar fasciitis — it restarts the stalled recovery process.
💉
Non-surgical · non-invasive
No incisions, no injections, no medication. Treatment takes 20–40 minutes, and you can return to your day straight afterwards.
When fascial therapy + extracorporeal shock wave therapy are combined
→ Fascial therapy releases the adhesions and opens the blood-flow pathways
→ Applying shockwaves to the released tissue raises regeneration efficiency
→ Recovery is faster and lasts longer than either treatment alone
Objective verification
We prove it in numbers, not in feelings
We measure your range of motion (ROM) before and after treatment, confirming the change objectively. Not “how does it feel — a little better?”, but degrees you can see.
01
Measure before treatment
Joint movement is measured precisely. For example: “Currently 120 degrees. Normal is 180. Movement is restricted by 60 degrees.”
02
Fascial therapy
Guided by the measurements, we pinpoint the adhesions and release them gently along the grain of the fascia.
03
Measure again after treatment
The same measurement, repeated. For example: “155 degrees — a 35-degree improvement. As the adhesions released, the movement returned.”
The treatment process
Obliv’s personalised treatment process
01
Precise diagnosis · ROM assessment
The Chief Director’s examination and range-of-motion (ROM) measurement identify the root cause of the pain. Fascial adhesions that imaging cannot see are confirmed by palpation.
02
A personalised treatment plan
Considering your level of pain, age, build and lifestyle, we compose a tailored solution centred on fascial therapy — and decide whether to add extracorporeal shock wave therapy.
03
Fascial therapy
A nationally certified physiotherapist reaches the deep fascia with the oiling technique and releases the adhesions. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy is added where needed.
04
ROM re-measurement · aftercare
After treatment, ROM is measured again to confirm the improvement, with guidance on self-exercise and posture to help prevent recurrence.
Treatment time · frequency · sessions
40–60 minutes
Length of one session
1–2 times a week
Recommended frequency
5–10 sessions
Recommended course
* May vary with the treatment plan and individual condition.
What fascial therapy can offer
✦
Pain addressed at the root
Releasing adhesions in the deep fascia — not just the surface — reaches the root cause of pain
✦
Self-recovery switched on
Encourages the body’s own healing capacity, without relying on injections or medication
✦
Range of motion restored
Restoring fascial glide makes stiff joints move smoothly again
✦
Non-surgical · non-invasive
No incisions, no injections — and back to your day straight after treatment
✦
Recovery that lasts longer
Resolving the root cause of fascial adhesions helps the results hold longer and lowers recurrence
Fascial Therapy FAQ
Before treatment, we talk through your worries and concerns.
＋ What can I expect from combining extracorporeal shock wave therapy with fascial therapy?
Fascial therapy releases the adhesions and opens the blood-flow pathways; extracorporeal shock wave therapy promotes regeneration of the damaged tissue. Applying shockwaves to tissue already released by fascial therapy raises regeneration efficiency — so recovery is faster and lasts longer than either alone. The medical team decides whether to combine them, according to your condition.
＋ How long does treatment take?
Each session lasts about 40–60 minutes, and we recommend a base course of 5–10 sessions at 1–2 per week. Change is checked at every session with ROM measurement, and the plan is adjusted to you.
＋ Is fascial therapy painful?
We work with gentle pressure, so there is very little pain. Fascia has the property of tightening in defence the harder it is pressed — so gentle pressure actually produces deeper release. Straight after treatment you can feel the relief and the improved range of motion.
＋ Why is oil used in fascial therapy?
Oil is used for precision, not comfort. It is a treatment tool: reducing friction between skin and hand lets gentle contact reach the deep fascial layers. Pressed too hard, fascia tightens in defence — so a soft, oiled approach is what releases the deeper layers.
＋ The MRI shows nothing — why am I in pain?
MRI and CT show bones, cartilage and discs well, but fascia is a thin, dynamic tissue that standard imaging does not capture. Fascial adhesion (densification) is a functional change rather than a structural one — it can be confirmed by palpation and ROM assessment.
＋ How is fascial therapy different from standard physiotherapy?
Standard physiotherapy deals mainly with muscles and joints. Fascial therapy focuses on the fascia — the three-dimensional connective tissue wrapping and linking muscles, bones and organs. Obliv reaches the deep fascia with the oiling technique, and treats by tracing pain to its root cause (referred pain) rather than the painful spot alone.
Seoul Origin Doctors
Introducing the medical team of the Rehabilitation Medicine Centre.
Obliv Seoul Origin Doctors
“We rebuild from the foundations and finish at the surface.”
Moon Ji-eun
Chief Director
(Current) Chief Director, Obliv Clinic Seoul Origin Branch
(Former) Managing Director, Obliv Clinic Songdo Branch
(Former) U&I Dermatology, Gangnam Branch
(Former) Pixel Lab Plastic Surgery
(Former) Lee Young Clinic
Key Doctor, ALLTITE
Key Doctor, Bioplus (body filler)
Key Doctor, Neauvia (retaining ligament)
Key Doctor, Mirajet
Academic Director, International Society of Aesthetic Anti-Aging Medicine
Academic Director, Aesthetic Plastic Laser Research Society
Academic Director, Korean Society of Dermatology, Obesity and Plastic Surgery
Moon Ji-eun
Chief Director
View details ›
Obliv Seoul Origin
Obliv Clinic Seoul Origin Branch Directions
Main phone number
02-6956-3438
Directions A 5-minute walk from Jonggak Station · Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station
BodyLab (Rehabilitation Medicine) Clinic
B1, Pagoda Tower, 93 Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Public transport
Line 1
From Jonggak Station
① Leave Exit 4 and go straight for 300 m ② With Daiso behind you, turn right (towards Samil-daero) ③ Go straight for 150 m towards Cheonggyecheon
Line 1Line 3Line 5
From Jongno 3(sam)-ga Station
① Leave Exit 15 and go straight for 300 m ② With Burger King behind you, turn left (towards Samil-daero) ③ Go straight for 150 m towards Cheonggyecheon
Line 2
From Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station
① Leave Exit 4 and go straight for 300 m ② With IBK Bank behind you, turn left (towards Samil-daero) ③ Go straight for 150 m towards Cheonggyecheon
Line 2Line 3
From Euljiro 3(sam)-ga Station
① Leave Exit 1 and go straight for 150 m ② With Starbucks behind you, turn right (towards Samil-daero) ③ Go straight for 150 m towards Cheonggyecheon
Clinic hours
Skin · Body · Scalp
Mon – Fri
10:00 - 21:00
Sat – Sun
10:00 - 19:00
BodyLab (Rehabilitation Medicine)
Mon – Fri
10:00 - 21:00
Saturday
10:00 - 19:00
Footcare · Nail
Mon – Fri
09:30 - 20:00
Saturday
09:30 - 19:00
