Fascia long went unnoticed or ignored but researchers, physical therapists and athletes are now knowing the effects of fascial tension and benefits of treating the fascia. Read on to find out about fascia and the effects of myofacial pain.
What is fascia?
Fascia is a tough band or sheet of connective tissue. It is primarily made up of collagen. It lays beneath the skin and attaches, stabilises, encloses, and separates muscles and other internal organs.
Fascia connects skin to muscle, and every muscle to the next. It literally covers every muscle, every group of muscles and every organ. It acts like a scaffolding of the body. This explains why tension in one area can effect another part of the body.
What does fascia do?
Fascia maintains a fine balance of support and restriction. When functioning properly, fascia allows muscles to move freely alongside other structures of the body. However, when restricted, the effect trickles down and can cause muscle restriction. Muscles however, can become tight and restricted on their own too. The cause and effect is still largely unknown. The intricacies of the fascial web is still largely a mystery to modern medicine.
Sit in your chair with your knees bent and dorsiflex your ankle (flex up and down). Now take that leg and with the knee straight, put it on the table in front of you and do the same thing. The foot moves less. Now bend your trunk forward. Even less motion. Next, drop your head. Now you can really feel tightness in your calf. This demonstrates just one simple fascial connection, the back-line, but the fascial connections throughout the body are far, far more intricate.
Fascia Research from a Clinician/Scientist’s Perspective, Thomas W. Findley, MD, PhD
In 2001 Thomas Myers, a student of Drs. Ida Rolf, Moshe Feldenkrais, and Buckminster Fuller, laid out the unique view of the myofascial anatomy first time in his book “Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists”. He demonstrates fascia and the effects of myofacial pain; exactly how the muscles connect and interact within the trains of connective tissue. And how that goes on to affect posture, compensatory strain, and pain patterns.
How does it effect me?
It’s likely that once one structure becomes tight and restricted, another will compensate to keep the body moving and functioning. Repetitive movement can cause a thickening and tightening of the fascia. Movements relating to work or sport included. This can cause pain in the area but because of the connections, can cause complications further along the fascial chain. Ongoing fascial tension can also lead to inflammation with conditions such as plantar fasciitis, illiotibial band syndome (ITB) and other tendonitis.
How can I ease fascial tension and myofascial pain?
Warming up before exercise or work can be a simple way to prevent tension building up. Yoga, stretching and movement are great ways to keep fascia and muscles moving. Whereas, self massage techniques like foam rolling and use of the trigger point ball are great ways to release existing fascial tension. Massage and acupuncture have also been proven to help release fascial tension.
Understanding fascia helps highlight the importance of massage. Stretching and self massage can only go so deep and may not target all areas that need releasing.
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