Fascia: What is it?

Fascia: a word we hear a lot, but might not know exactly what it is. Fascia is a thin casing of connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, bone, blood vessel, and nerve fiber together. But it does more than help provide structure, it also has nerves that are as sensitive and skin, and can help transmit information through your body.

It is no secret that we help treat patients with connective tissue disorders, so we deal with tons of fascia related issues. From myofascial release, to fascial hernias, we’ve worked with it all. At its core, fascia is closely packed together bundles of collagen fibers that are situated in a specific direction parallel to the direction of pull.

Fascia is also one of the most abundant sensory organs in our body. They are filled with nerve endings and mechanoreceptors, and play a huge role in the perception of posture, movement, and proprioception — all things that us with EDS/HSD struggle with on a daily basis. So it makes you think, what else does fascia affect?

Fascia is meant to glide and slide between the muscles and ligaments that it is connected to, aiding in your body’s movement. But fascial dysfunction can occur for many different reasons. This can be from lack of movement, long term poor posture, or connective tissue disorders. If your fascia is unable to glide and slide correctly, it can cause inadequate transmission of tension across your body, pain, stiffness, and muscle fatigue.

Thankfully, there are ways to help manage your fascia and all of it’s issues! Myofascial release and trigger point releases are two of the most common ways to help treat fascia pain and dysfunction. Myofascial release is an effective hands on treatment that involves applying gentle pressure onto the myofascial connective tissue. This sustained pressure can help aid pain and restore motion.

In addition, there are ways that you can help release your fascia while at home. You can purchase a theragun (muscle massage gun) or even just a foam roller. There are also other tools that are specifically designed to help massage the fascia for all the other parts of your body such as your neck, wrists, and legs.

If you suspect you have dysfunction related to your fascia or connective tissue based on symptoms you’re experiencing, it’s important to visit your doctor. They will be able to diagnose you with a few tests or by ruling out other similar conditions.This Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition