An Introduction To Fascia
In this new series of blogs I will be sharing some of the science and anatomy which I’ve been studying more deeply this past year, and which has been influencing my teachings.
I’ve found when I learn more of the science behind what is happening in our bodies, it connects me more deeply to what I’m doing. So I hope by sharing these new blogs it will help others who come to my classes to connect more deeply too, so they can get more out of their practice.
In this first blog, I want to share an Introduction To Fascia. It’s such a buzz word at the moment! But what I’ve learned about it has helped me to understand scientifically what I already knew from experience; That our bodies are deeply interconnected.
Let’s get started.
Fascia is a living responsive system, it is a connective matrix, a soft tissue scaffolding, like a 3D web linking everything together.
“It surrounds & penetrates muscles, bones, organs, nerves, blood vessels, & other structures of the body” Jill Miller.
But it’s not just a connective tissue that links things together, it is a living responsive system.
Click through to see the full reel from @spacermobility
So what is Fascia is made up of:
Collagen fibres that give it structure and strength.
Elastin fibres that give it elasticity and recall - flexibility.
ECM (Extra Cellular Matric), a gel-like fluid that enables Fascia to slide & glide and act like a shock absorber. Approximately 66% of fascia is ECM.
This ECM is made up of hyaluronan, glycosaminoglycans & water. And this is key, it includes water. Sometimes we refer to our Fascia as being dehydrated, when it gets rigid & sticky, and it needs water and movement to become hydrated, so it can slide & glide.
I love the analogy of a sponge. When a sponge dries out it becomes rigid, imobile, and can crumble. But add water and it’s pliable, flexible, moveable, it rebounds, and it's usable!
Next a glimpse into what Fascia does.
Jill Miller in her The Roll Model book sets out two main categories of functions; connection & protection.
Connective functions:
Bind & separate structures
Support organs
Provide a scaffolding framework for the whole body’s structure
Fill space
Protective functions:
Store fat
Make blood
Fight infections
Repair tissue damage
Insulate
Lubricate
Shock absorption
And there’s also more and more science looking into Fascia as a communication highway. There’s six times as many sensory neurons in fascia than in any other tissue in the body, with the exception of the skin.
So not only does Fascia connect, protect, it also communicates. It’s important.
But what is healthy fascia?
Fascia’s fibroblast cells need a nutrient balanced bath to produce collagen and elastin fibres. And those fibres exist in that gel-like fluid ECM, that water filled gel.
So when we’re hydrated and with the nutrients our cells need reaching our fascia, then it can perform as intended.
What we’ll notice when we have healthy fascia:
Ease when moving
Smooth range of motion
Shock absorption & rebound
Less aches and pains
Great posture
But there’s also all the benefits of healthy Fascia that we probably don’t notice or recognise as linked to healthy Fascia. Remember Fascia is everywhere and we’re all interconnected. So healthy Fascia will mean we overall feel healthier, we feel well.
And how does Fascia become unhealthy?
It can get distorted and/or oversqueezed by holding positions for long periods of time, whether it’s the way we sit, stand, lean, or lay. Or maybe you have a repetitive job, where tissues are held in one plane of motion for long periods of time, and others not moving.
When our Fascia is held still or oversqueezed for long periods of time, it’s unable to absorb the water it needs to return to its original shape. Resulting in distorted or deformed Fascia.
“When Fascia is chronically dehydrated from lack of fluids or lack of motion, your Fascias literally stick to one another, creating “dams” or adhesions”. Jill Miller.
If there is a dam, no amount of water you drink will free it. Instead movement & friction is needed to gently ease out the adhesions.
And this is the great thing about Fascia, we can get it sliding & gliding again.
Movement is a key part. Hydration is key. Nutrition is key. But there are also more and more modalities which have been specifically designed to target Fascia.
I’m loving The Roll Model Method by Jill Miller, and it’s the basis for how I teach my Fascial Release work, which I love to weave into my Yoga classes, as well as in my specialist Release & Reset classes.
But there are also many other people doing great work in this area. This is an exciting time as we get to know what Fascia is, what it does, and how we can look after it, so that we feel Well.
So that completes my little Introduction To Fascia. Please keep an eye out for future blogs where I’ll be sharing more insights into Fascia, and I’d love to hear from you if you have any questions.