What is Fascia?

Fascia is the same thing as 'connective tissue', that runs throughout the body in a three-dimensional web, from head-to-feet, without interruption.  If you have seen the white lines that go through a steak, or look at an orange slice, that tissue that holds the juice inside each individual cell, that is fascia.  Think of a cobweb, but, it's made of gel.  The fascia in our bodies has 3 main components: elastin, collagen and a poly-saccharide gel, extracellular matrix, or (ECM).  Fascia is a protective, yet fluid system and it provides structure for our bodies.

 

When healthy, fascia provides springiness in muscles, shock absorption and is the main messaging system of our bodies.  

It is the immediate environment for each cell in the body.  Researchers have only recently begun to appreciate the role that this tissue plays.  They used to think of it only as a 'saran wrap' for muscles and just scrape it away, in order to study the important structures, but, now that they are viewing humans with high powered microscopes during surgeries, they can see there is much more to this tissue.

Because it surrounds and connects everything; muscles, nerves, blood vessels, organs and bones, down to the cellular level, this system profoundly influences all other structures and systems of the body.

​

Malfunction of the fascial system due to trauma, inflammation, our daily postural habits, repetitive stress, or surgery, etc., can create a binding down, tightening, or even solidifying of the fascia.  It can also become restricted or solidified because of mental or emotional bracing, responding to imagined or perceived danger.  

Have you ever felt a 'stuckness'?  Or have you felt you don't have the range of motion you used to?  This could be a restriction in your tissues.  Sometimes our muscles get sort of 'glued' together, losing their glide.  When this happens muscles can become weak, or nonfunctional.  The body responds by asking surrounding muscles to do the work of the weak one, so it can find balance.  Compensation patterns develop, which can throw us off balance and overwork the compensating muscles.  Restrictions cause tissues to dehydrate, become brittle and easy to tear.  This can result in excessive pressure on pain-sensitive structures, inside our bodies, that causes pain, discomfort and/or limited motion and function.  

​

The ECM of fascia is where our fluidity lives.  So, if we are restricted long enough, it's possible that areas of our tissues have become solidified.  When that happens, like a kink in a garden hose, our cells have to work much harder to perform their basic functions and sometimes our cells aren't able to absorb nutrients, hydration, or oxygen.  Even if we drink tons of water, our bodies might not be absorbing it.  When this happens, the cells also aren't able to excrete toxins and waste, so that gunk might stay trapped inside, essentially poisoning our cells.

​

Since many of today's standardized tests like CAT scans, X-rays, electromyography, MRIs, etc, don't show fascial restrictions, many people suffering from pain and lack of motion could be having fascial problems, but, they go undiagnosed.  Since they can't see it on the scans, they may tell patients, it's all in their head.  Healthcare has missed this important piece of the puzzle when addressing pain conditions for patients.  The good news is, there is something you can do.   Read about Myofascial Release Therapy. 

​