Fascia: what is it and why it’s important
By Jill McCubbin-Clare, Registered Acupuncturist & Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner
Understanding the human body is something all health practitioners claim. But understanding exactly how all the human body systems work together and support each other is not as widely known. Many natural health practitioners approach wellness as a continuous journey, and continue to expand their knowledge and practices to embrace both old and new methods for whole body wellness.
A somewhat new area of study that has been found to support whole body health and movement is fascia. Here, you can learn more about this structural tissue and how to keep yours healthy.
What is fascia?
Fascia is a connective tissue, made mainly of collagen. According to Adam Taylor, Professor and Director of the Clinical Anatomy Learning Centre at Lancaster University, it surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fibre and muscle in place.
Visualize a semi-transparent web that wraps and connects us from head to toe. Every muscle fiber, every internal organ and neuron is supported by this membrane.
Many in the wellness field liken fascia to the internal support system of an orange. “Just as the orange is surrounded by a white skin of cellular tissue, which simultaneously maintains the consistency and gives shape to the pulp, our body (under the layer of skin) is surrounded and covered by connective tissue called superficial fascia,” notes Human Kinetics in an excerpt from Myofascial Training by Ester Albini. Fascia exist in many layers inside the body. For a deep dive into the layers and technicality of fascia, visit https://www.tuneupfitness.com/blog/fascia-myofascial-release.
How fascia supports the body
Fascia is involved in every move we make. It stabilizes the body by connecting bones, muscles, nerves, connective tissue, organs and even skin.
Well-hydrated fascia slides easily inside the body, but dehydrated fascial tissue has a negative impact on movement and flexibility, reducing well-being and performance and increasing the risk of injury.
If fascia is damaged, the layers become less able to facilitate movement over each other. Fascial injuries take a long time to repair. And because the layers of fascia close to the surface of the body have a high number of nerves, injuries to fascial layers can be very painful.
Taylor suggests that up to 30 per cent of people with musculoskeletal pain may have fascial involvement or fascia may be the cause. A prime example of injured fascia is plantar fasciitis, which causes pain on around the heel and arch of the foot. It is recognized by health professionals as an overuse injury, causing the thickening of the fascial bands on the soles of the feet that help give the arch support.
In his article, Taylor notes that one of the reasons fascia has been overlooked, or not studied well, is because it was difficult to see using current imaging technology.
“More recently, though, MRI and ultrasound imaging have been shown to be beneficial in visualizing fascia, particularly in musculoskeletal conditions such as plantar fasciitis, and pathological changes in the fascia of the shoulder and neck,” he explained.
How fascial manipulation improves wellbeing
The manipulation of fascia is often termed myofascial release (MFR). Myofascial refers to the fascial layers that surround muscle tissue and are a part of every muscle in your body.
Self Myofascial Release (SMFR) is an excellent tool for increased mobility, pain relief, and muscle recovery after working out. It also improves your body’s performance. From increasing your movement and coordination to reducing arterial stiffness, SMFR has a myriad of benefits for the human body.
Fascial manipulation improves the brain’s map of the body, which can lead to improved awareness and emotional connection with the self. Fascia has many nerve endings, and by stimulating them, the brain can better process, and map, our bodies as a whole. This can lead to feelings of relaxation, and help us be present and aware of the sensations, emotions, and feelings flowing through the body.
SMFR tools and techniques
Using self-massage tools will allow you to gently apply pressure to lengthen, soften, and loosen your fascia. The goal is to soothe and relax – it doesn’t need to hurt!
Because the fascia is so widespread and interconnected, it’s important to work areas outside the trouble zones. If your back needs work, include the neck and shoulders. Similarly if you’re experiencing knee or hip pain, massage the upper and lower legs and feet.
Try it at home
A few simple releases can be done at home with minimal equipment. A few tennis balls and a foam roller are all you need to get started with SMFR.
These moves come from Jill Miller, a fitness therapy pioneer and the author of The Roll Model, a comprehensive fascia fitness plan.
Give yourself a lazy back massage
Grab two tennis balls and some floor space and try this: Lie on your back on the floor. Put the balls under your back, side-by-side, resting horizontally along the band of your sports bra. Inhale a deep, massive ribcage breath, then exhale the air by squeezing your ribs together, flattening the balls beneath you. Repeat 5 times.
This movement creates what Miller calls "sustained compression." The balls press into specific tissues, slowly prying them apart. As a result, small sections of the fascia stretch and lengthen, relieving tension.
Miller says this movement should release some of the tightness in the upper back. You can use this same technique with other points in your body that may feel sore after an intense workout or a really long day at work—glutes, calves, neck. She advises against pressing the balls directly on an especially tender spot (it's too intense); instead, she says to tease toward the area, allowing the balls to sink into the tissue just around it, holding the pressure for 90 to 120 seconds at a time.
An essential move for anyone who runs, jumps, squats or walks
A foam roller is needed for this one. To work your hamstrings and glutes, start by sinng on the roller with your hands on the ground behind you. Create a small zigzag motion with your hips and thighs while you simultaneously roll down your legs toward your knees, then back up to your glutes. When you hit a tight spot, create friction at that spot by wiggling yourself from side-to side while the roller stays stationary.
Miller says this "global shearing" move pulls, twists and wrings the skin and its underlying tissues away from your body and each other, unsticking large swaths of the tissues and restoring their ability to slide and glide.
This move should leave the back of your legs feeling loose and limber, as if you've been stretching them.
Find a few more of Miller’s fascial release moves here.
And, of course, professional care is available. Natural Health practioners may offer fascial release as a service, or part of a service, for those who cannot or would prefer not to practice self-release.
Jill McCubbin-Clare
Registered Acupuncturist
Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner
