An Overview of Fascia
What is the fascial system?
The fascial system is a layer of very strong connective tissue that presents as a thin white net that runs throughout the entire body. It wraps around pretty much everything, for example organs, bones, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, tendons, and ligaments. It's made up of sheets of interwoven collagen-based tissue. Fascia has nerves running through it and also interacts with our brain. Ultimately, it allows for all of our systems to connect with each other. For example, if we have neck pain, this will affect other regions of our body due to this interconnectivity. In addition, if we are stressed, physically or mentally, it causes the fascia to constrict. Again, due to the interconnectivity, other parts of the body will become affected from this, as well.
4 types: Superficial, Deep, Visceral, and Parietal
Superficial: outermost layer, located right under skin & superficial adipose tissue. It's made up of membranous layers, collagen & elastic fibers, and can include muscle fibers.
Deep: covers bones, muscles, nerves, & blood vessels
Visceral: surrounds the body's organs
Parietal: lines the body's cavities
Fun facts about Fascia:
Fascia is 90% collagen & water and 10% cells (mostly fibroblast cells which produce collagen).
Fascia is the largest sensory organ in the body (it has 6-10x more sensory receptors than muscle).
Fascia will adapt to the movement we do (or lack thereof). Fascia loves when we diversify our movement and also relishes in activities such as skipping, crawling under things, hanging upside down, etc. The idea is to continue to diversify your movement so that fascia doesn't break down over time.
Mechanical manipulations of tissue (such as self-myofascial release, otherwise known as SMR) increases the flow of hyaluron (hyaluronic acid), which facilitates smoother and more natural movements. Hyaluron heats up and liquifies and moves to other areas of the body. SMR is a type of self-massage that uses things such as foam rollers to improve mobility and help release muscle tension.
Since fascia is all connected, an adhesion can affect other locations of the body, and so can self-myofascial release.
Diaphragmatic breathing for healthy fascia:
The diaphragm is composed of fascial tissue and has a significant impact on the fascia throughout our body. When we breathe using the diaphragm, each exhale positively affects the fascia across our entire body. Additionally, since fascia can tighten in response to stress, including mental stress, rapid or irregular breathing can exacerbate this effect. Lastly, it is crucial to focus on diaphragmatic breathing rather than chest breathing.
