What is fascia and why is it important?
Fascia is the web that holds us together
Fascia is connective tissue organized as an interconnected 3D network. It wraps around every cell, tissue and organ. Think of it like a web that supports the bones, muscles, etc. Without it the body would fall apart. It holds the bones in place as opposed to the bones holding the muscles and fascia in place. As much as we would love to delve into the scientific properties we have only so much to work with, so the following is more theoretical with some clinical pearls. So take this with a grain of salt as you should with all information out there. We simply do not know enough.
Our bodies maintain form through constant tensional forces from lines & layers of fascia from superficial, to deep to innermost. This connective tissue is also one of the primary water storage units found within the body.
Our bodies maintain form through constant tensional forces from lines & layers of fascia from superficial, to deep to innermost. This connective tissue is also one of the primary water storage units found within the body.
Fascia Theory & Exploration
Fascia consists of a complex which has three aspects:
1. Elastin fibers - This is the elastic and stretchable part of the complex.
2. Collagen fibers - These fibers are extremely tough and give support to the structure.
3. Ground substance/matrix - A gelatinous-like substance that transports metabolic material throughout the body.
When we get injured or engage in repetitive actions that don't have much variety in range of motion our body may over time develop excess fascia between muscle tissue like the image above as if a spider was weaving a web. This can create cross-linkages and fascial adhesions that begin to restrict our 'design movement' which over time creates other lines of tension that are unnecessary on joints and muscles. This increases the likelihood for fascial restrictions which have the capacity of creating up to 2,000 pounds of pressure per square inch in a restricted area. This intense pressure can compromise our physiology and result in chronic pain and dysfunction.
This is the primary reason manual therapies such as myofascial release, self-myofascial release, Yoga, Egoscue Method, etc. are necessary everyday. We focus on self-care as much as possible to empower our clients and recommend monthly or bi-weekly treatments if possible to keep the myofascial tissue healthy and give it tensional variety. The beauty of this knowledge is it is applicable and you can start today just by opening up tissue and rehydrating areas. We hope you are inspired to learn more so you can begin living pain-free.
1. Elastin fibers - This is the elastic and stretchable part of the complex.
2. Collagen fibers - These fibers are extremely tough and give support to the structure.
3. Ground substance/matrix - A gelatinous-like substance that transports metabolic material throughout the body.
When we get injured or engage in repetitive actions that don't have much variety in range of motion our body may over time develop excess fascia between muscle tissue like the image above as if a spider was weaving a web. This can create cross-linkages and fascial adhesions that begin to restrict our 'design movement' which over time creates other lines of tension that are unnecessary on joints and muscles. This increases the likelihood for fascial restrictions which have the capacity of creating up to 2,000 pounds of pressure per square inch in a restricted area. This intense pressure can compromise our physiology and result in chronic pain and dysfunction.
This is the primary reason manual therapies such as myofascial release, self-myofascial release, Yoga, Egoscue Method, etc. are necessary everyday. We focus on self-care as much as possible to empower our clients and recommend monthly or bi-weekly treatments if possible to keep the myofascial tissue healthy and give it tensional variety. The beauty of this knowledge is it is applicable and you can start today just by opening up tissue and rehydrating areas. We hope you are inspired to learn more so you can begin living pain-free.
Three layers of fascia
(copied from a presentation given by John Saratsiotis)
(copied from a presentation given by John Saratsiotis)
1. Fascia superficialis
Benefits of manual therapies that address fascia?
What do we do differently?
We assess your spine and neck at rotation, flexion, extension and varying degrees of these movements in addition sitting & standing. We palpate the superficial facial and deeper layer of fascia known as fascia profunda. We intend to work primarily with the superficial and profunda layers. We think that we alter the fibrous and cellular components of the fascia through lengthier fascial stretches and shearing techniques. The mechanical stretch, heat and bioelectric exchange from the therapy may alter the collagen, ground substance and elastin fibers. The truth is we have found only a small amount of research supporting this, so it is theoretical.
We have noticed a significant difference with our clients suffering sport injuries and suffering chronic pain however if we apply our intention to work with the connective tissue based off of the research that is there such as the findings of E. Borgini. What is actually going on? We do not know? We recognize that it has shown it self more effective in clinical application to use our intention to work with the web, however we do not truly know what is happening at this current time?
Many therapies seem to address the elastin fibers of connective tissue. We have found that those therapies that do not address fascia at deeper levels are beneficial, however to alter the ground substance and collagen it has been shown in some scientific literature and clinical application that you need tension applied in specific directions for a specific length of time in order to melt the ground substance and alter the connective tissue at the collagen level. This leads to lengthier pain relief and what appears to be more permanent change within the fascia as a whole.
To be specific E. Borgini et al, found in 2010 that to modify an apparent fascial density in accordance with differences in characteristics of the subjects and of the symptoms. In particular, the mean time to halve the pain was 3.24 minutes when applying techniques.
- This layer is a loose connective tissue containing adipose tissue, blood vessels, nerve endings, and even skeletal muscle.
- At specific sites known as zones of adherence, the superficial fascia gives the human body its morphology and contour (creases, folds, bulges) such as the gluteal folds.
- This layer is a fibrous (not very elastic) connective tissue with very little adipose tissue.
- Fascia profunda envelops all muscles in the body, as well as nerves, vessels, glands, and other internal structures.
- When it comes to myofascia, fascia profunda further subdivides into several investing layers
Benefits of manual therapies that address fascia?
- Increased range of motion
- Improved quality of breath
- Improved immune function
- Improved hydration levels
- Less pain & tension
- More permanent changes in connective tissue which provide lengthier pain relief and structural integrity
What do we do differently?
We assess your spine and neck at rotation, flexion, extension and varying degrees of these movements in addition sitting & standing. We palpate the superficial facial and deeper layer of fascia known as fascia profunda. We intend to work primarily with the superficial and profunda layers. We think that we alter the fibrous and cellular components of the fascia through lengthier fascial stretches and shearing techniques. The mechanical stretch, heat and bioelectric exchange from the therapy may alter the collagen, ground substance and elastin fibers. The truth is we have found only a small amount of research supporting this, so it is theoretical.
We have noticed a significant difference with our clients suffering sport injuries and suffering chronic pain however if we apply our intention to work with the connective tissue based off of the research that is there such as the findings of E. Borgini. What is actually going on? We do not know? We recognize that it has shown it self more effective in clinical application to use our intention to work with the web, however we do not truly know what is happening at this current time?
Many therapies seem to address the elastin fibers of connective tissue. We have found that those therapies that do not address fascia at deeper levels are beneficial, however to alter the ground substance and collagen it has been shown in some scientific literature and clinical application that you need tension applied in specific directions for a specific length of time in order to melt the ground substance and alter the connective tissue at the collagen level. This leads to lengthier pain relief and what appears to be more permanent change within the fascia as a whole.
To be specific E. Borgini et al, found in 2010 that to modify an apparent fascial density in accordance with differences in characteristics of the subjects and of the symptoms. In particular, the mean time to halve the pain was 3.24 minutes when applying techniques.
The following two videos give examples of some of the myofascial therapies we apply to give you an idea of what to expect.
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Dr. Gil Hedley explains the importance of therapies that address the fascia and why injuries and repetitive actions cause restrictions and hinder full range of motion. Mind you this is a cadaver and we don't really know if these fascial restrictions occur like this in living organisms, however it gives us some insight into a possible cause. The 2nd video is a collection of fascia research speakers.
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Words from Leaders in Fascia Therapy/Research
"Other research shows that interfascial water plays a key part in what is termed "protein folding," the process necessary for cells to form their characteristic shapes - and that nanocrystals are a part of this process - and that these are influenced by light. According to Sommer, et al 7: "In the course of a systematic exploration of interfacial water layers on solids we discovered microtornadoes, found a complementary explanation to the surface conductivity on hydrogenated diamond, and arrived at a practical method to repair elastin degeneration, using light."
Leon Chaitow D.O.
"It is not very useful merely to say 'everything is connected to everything else', and leave it at that. Even though it is ultimately true, such a premise leaves the practitioner in a nebulous, even vacuous, world with nothing to guide him but pure 'intuition'. Einstein's special theory of relativity did not negate Newton's laws of motion; rather it subsumed them in a larger scheme. Likewise, myofascial meridian theory does not eliminate the value of the many individual muscle-based techniques and analyses, but simply sets them in the context of the system as a whole. This scheme is generally a supplement to, not a replacement for, existing knowledge about muscles. In other words, the splenius capitis still rotates the head and extends the neck, and it operates, as we shall see, as part of the spiral and lateral myofascial chains ."
Thomas Meyers
"Tensegrity describes structures whose shape is determined by continuous tensional networks. The position of the bones is determined by the length of the fascial sheathes between the bones. Fascia is the main determinant of our posture. If one area of a tensegrity structure is restricted, the entire structure shifts to absorb the strain. This is why releasing fascia in one area can affect distant parts of the body."
Sean Riehl
"Wisdom is knowing what to do next; Skill is knowing how to do it, and Virtue is doing it. "
David Starr Jordan
David Starr Jordan