“Fascia” has been the subject of increased research within the past several years, with doctors gaining a newfound understanding of how this important connective tissue works with muscles and the role it plays in the body. Once thought of as relatively unimportant to the human anatomy, scientists have since come to realize that fascia plays a role in literally every movement the body makes.

Fascia is essentially packed collagen fibers that connect, surround, separate, and protect bones, nerves, muscles, organs and other tissues.  In fact, each individual muscle fiber is sheathed with fascia.  Fascia essentially holds the human body together — like Saran Wrap.  If you’ve ever prepared raw chicken, you might have noticed a thin, milky white film over the flesh.

That is fascia, and it’s loaded with nerve endings!

Fascia contracts, feels and impacts the way we move.  As one of the body’s richest sensory organs, it responds to stress, and thus has likely played a role in every injury you’ve ever had.  This is because fascia fibers transmit tension to nerves.  Imagine wearing a shirt and then tugging on the collar. While the stimulus might not be directly touching your body, your body would still be able to feel the stimulus because the entire shirt responds as the collar tightens around your neck.  The sleeves pull up slightly.  The shirt might come un-tucked.  Your fascia operates in a similar way to the shirt, meaning you can’t move just one part of it.   When the fascia is pulled or stressed in one place, the tension is transmitted through the body via the nervous system, and causes burning, tightness, pulling or pain in other places, as well.

Ideally, your fascia should be smooth and supple, allowing the body to move and stretch in any direction and then returning back to its original position. Going back to the shirt example, imagine sliding a sleeve up and down the arm.  As long as the shirtsleeve is straight, it should move up and down fairly easily.  Twist the sleeve however, and you’ll find sliding the sleeve up and down the arm not as effortless.  When our fascia does not maintain its optimal flexibility, shape or texture (as a result of stress, lack of activity or poor posture, for example), it can result in “sticky” adhesions that restrict movement and cause pain.

Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to ensure the health of your fascia and thus prevent injury and pain down the road.  Here are five simple tips:

• Keep moving. Adhesions can form between fascial surfaces, as well as between muscles and other organs that aren’t moved regularly.  These adhesions can limit range of motion in the long-term.  So, be sure to keep active, even if you are confined to a chair (sit-robics!).

• If you are injured, get examined. Adhesions can develop within damaged fascial tissues, which can then compound with subsequent injuries.

• Drink your water. Fascia is made of water and works best when wet. When you are well hydrated, you help ensure your fascia stays smooth and supple.

• Stretch it out. Chronically tight muscles equal chronically tight fascia. Muscle tension can result in the fascia becoming rigid over.  Rigid fascia compresses the muscles and nerves, resulting in pain.  Avoid chronic pain in the long term by taking time to stretch regularly.  Before stretching, however, be sure to warm the muscles up by marching in place, doing jumping jacks or jump roping for two minutes or so.  This movement helps get blood into the muscle tissue and prevents injury.  When ready to stretch, hold each stretch for one to three minutes to ensure best results.

• Seek out a specialist. It is my goal, as a sports specialist in myo-fascial therapy, to help resolve fascial issues and remove adhesions.  Techniques and approaches can vary from gentle to aggressive and are performed to the individual’s tissue tolerance. These treatments are often ancillary to the chiropractic adjustment because of the unique biomechanical relationship.

If you would like more information about myofascial therapy, or have additional questions about fascia or sports-related chiropractic, please feel free to contact me at pathwaysth@gmail.com and put “Fascia” in the subject line.