Within the therapeutic massage and bodywork industry fascia has become the hottest of topics and with so many discoveries as to its influence on the whole body, it is a therapy that can bring about huge benefits to those experiencing pain and loss of mobility.
History:
The early discoveries of myofascial techniques started in the 1920s with connective tissue massage (CTM) developed by Elizabeth Dicke.
In the 1960s a technique called Rolfing was developed by Ida Rolfe. Rolfing seeks to reestablish vertical alignment in the body by manipulating the tissues to encourage the fascia to elongate and slide rather than to adhere.
The 1980s brought the term Myofascial Release (MFR), which was used by the therapist John Barnes. His method aimed to free any restrictions in the fascial system in order to relieve pain, restore function and mobility and to release emotional trauma.
In 2001 Thomas Myers released a book called Anatomy Trains, showing how the muscles are functionally linked in “myofascial meridians” throughout the body. This is still regarded by many therapists as the bible of myofascial work.
Dr. Pischinger book (2004) The Extracellular Matrix, is based on his 30-year study of fascia, where he states that fascia is the largest single organ in the body.
When I started my training as a massage therapist in 2000 there was little mention of the fascial system and it was regarded of minor importance. Luckily we know realise what a crucial role myofascial work plays in targeting pain relief and greater mobility.
So, what is Fascia?
The fascia is the tough, fibrous, sticky connective tissue that literally holds us together.
If we were able to magically dissolve all our muscles and bones, leaving the fascia intact, we would still have a complete three-dimensional representation of our bodily form, a little like wearing a 3D mesh body suit that would show off our bad postural habits in all their glory!
All body parts are interconnected by this continuous, vast silken web like structure, and we could travel from any chosen place in the body to another without ever leaving the fascia.
Fascia envelopes each and every structure of the body, from the tiniest nerve with its own fascial sheath, all our organs, muscles and bone and even the brain. So, you can see the potential for injury or restriction in one part of the body to impact on others.
Fascia is composed of two types of fibres called elastin and collagen. Elastin has the ability to stretch and has a “memory” ie: the tissues go back to its original state after stretching. Collagen fibres give strength but have no “memory” ie: they are unable to spring back after stretching.
A key role of fascia is to enable the gliding of adjacent tissues over each other, any restriction and loss of the gliding capability will resort in pain and loss of the range of movement. The musculoskeletal system is basically a system of pulleys and levers with the muscles and fascia pulling on the bones to produce movement.
Because fascia is a continuous fibrous sheet, restrictions and pain can be referred to other parts of the body. If you can imagine fascia as wearing a loose knit jumper and pulling one corner of it down, you will see that the snag in the jumper will distort the overall shape and travel to other areas, in this case as far as the neck area of the jumper, and this is how fascia responds and reacts. If one area is tight or injured, it will have a direct influence on the tissues around it.
The fascia is the richest sensory organ in the body with 10 times more sensory nerve receptors than muscle, the brain communicates far more with fascia than it does muscles. It also holds patterns of past emotional stresses and trauma and is considered as the second nervous system.
Superficial fascia lies directly under the skin, and you may have noticed this slightly opaque slippery substance when preparing raw meat such as chicken or in between separate muscles on a large joint of meat, such as a leg of lamb.
The deep fascia stabilizes, supports, and maintains posture during movement and is particularly important when running at speed and over uneven terrain. It is essential that we keep our bodies adequately hydrated as dehydration can cause the fascia to become tight and inflexible, therefore making injury more likely. When injured, fascia can form adhesions, become inflamed and painful and with a poorer blood supply than many other tissues, this can lead to slow healing.
With the advancement of ultrasound imaging, Langevin et al (2011) showed that patients with long term low back pain have marked thickening and less sliding capabilities of the fascia in the lumbar area.
Myofascial Release treatment (MFR)
Fascia displays a special characteristic called thixotrophy. This means that it has the ability to change from a solid to a more liquid gel like consistency, therefore becoming more pliable with movement and temperature. This is something a trained therapist can use to their advantage when carrying out a treatment through massage techniques, application of heat and therapeutic exercises.
Myofascial work can be deeper than the traditional therapeutic massage techniques so it is important to find a therapist that is qualified in this particular area and can adapt the treatment accordingly.
Back In Motion offer a number of treatments which target and work with the fascia so please get in touch to discuss which treatment will be best suited to you.
