What Is Fascia
WHAT IS FASCIA?
Fascia are layers of fibrous connective tissue made up of collagen and elastin that permeates the entire body, surrounding muscles, groups of muscles, vessels and nerves, organs and endocrines, securing these structures in the three dimensional form that shapes our bodies.
It penetrates all the way into the deepest structures of our body.
The body is connected three dimensionally from the top of the head to the tips of the toes with fascia.
Much like plastic wrap holds the contents of a sandwich together; our fascia holds all the pieces together under the skin.
It does not show up on x-rays, MRI’S, or CAT scans…..so therefore often missed by the medical profession.
Think of a spider web and its a complex mesh-like structure. If you pull one end of the web, its many interwoven connections will cause a pull on the other end of the web……… Now imagine that web going through your entire body, around every organ, bloody vessel, nerve and muscle.
This is Fascia, it is effectively the stocking of the body.
WHEN FASCIA IS INJURED
It becomes tight over the course of a lifetime for various reasons: injury (such as surgery, birth, trauma, disease, inflammation, etc.); habitual posture, cuts/tears, and dehydration.
Because our entire body is interconnected, when the fascia becomes compromised it can put tension on adjacent pain-sensitive structures, as well as creating a drag on distant areas.
When fascia is inflamed it shrinks and the normally wet gelatinous ground substance that gives fascia its glide becomes hardened and binds down the tissue.
This decreases flexibility, fluidity of movement and the ability to absorb compressive forces.
Long after the original complaint, some patients have bizarre symptoms that we can now identify as being caused by the fascial system—symptoms like burning, tingling, pulling, cramping, poor posture, difficulty breathing, and cranial symptoms.
A fascial restriction can have a tensile strength of 2000 pounds per square inch. This can create abnormal strain patterns that can pull osseous structures (Bones) out of proper alignment resulting in compression of joint surfaces, discs, and bursa which create asymmetry and inflammation too.
A visual analogy may be when you pull on your sweater at the bottom you can feel it “dragging” and tightening up around your neck and shoulders.
TREATMENT
Myofascial Release is a gentle, hands-on approach used to free up fascial restrictions throughout the body.
A skilled therapist knows that “centeredness” and inner calm helps healing, and are able to detect and follows the unwinding that naturally occurs as they work.
This is accomplished by applying sustained pressure into the fascial barrier or restriction, waiting a minimum of 90 to 120 seconds for a release to occur, following that release into the next barrier, and waiting again.
After a series of releases, a noticeable softening can be felt as the tissue elongates.
As fascial layers are released the client gains greater flexibility.
This takes pressure off of sensitive structures and allows normal function. Therefore, during the calming and relaxing sessions your body leads the therapist, who helps it find positions where it can heal itself.
The therapist becomes a facilitator rather than an enforcer, gently following the fascial unwinding, barrier after barrier, along the path of least resistance.
Restoring equilibrium allows your self-correcting mechanisms to come into play and alleviate symptoms. MFR is used in combination with additional manual techniques and exercises.