All About Fascia

One of the most important topics for discussion is that of fascia; its function and purpose in the human body. When fascia is healthy, it works to allow fluid and deliberate, effective motion. Conversely, when fascia starts to break down, it affects and impedes our movement, flexibility, mobility, and overall wellbeing.

Fascia is a three-dimensional fibrous matrix that interconnects all cells of the body. A lot of what we believed we knew about the musculoskeletal system was wrong. Muscles are not isolated entities with clearly defined borders and individualized functions. Our musculoskeletal system is just that: a system of systems linked together by a highway of connective tissue we call fascia. Fascia penetrates and surrounds every muscle and organ in our body. It links together muscles, and groups of muscles, from the top of our skulls (epicranial fascia) to the bottom of our feet (plantar fascia). It gives our bodies structural integrity and strength.

Fascia is made up of tightly packed collagen as well as elastin fibers. They weave together like the fibers of a sweater, that reside in a gel-like bath called ground substance. Ground substance has the unique ability to go from gel to liquid form in response to pressure, heat, or stretch.

Fascia also contains specialized cells called fibroblasts, which give it the ability to produce more fascias. This usually occurs along lines of mechanical stress as a sort of reinforcement mechanism. You see this happen a lot, especially in the upper/middle back of office workers (or avid golfers).

Unfortunately, the qualities that make fascia so dynamic also make it susceptible to deformation. Fascias tissue that is repeatedly exposed to excessive strain can become dense, knotted or otherwise stuck together. These areas of increased tension and are adhesions. These adhesions can cause your muscles to lose independent movement, dragging neighboring muscles along with them for every movement.

Adhesions often develop around the site of a previous injury and in areas of high mechanical stress. These areas include the upper back, neck, rotator cuff, glutes, and calves. They often cause decreased blood flow, are painful to the touch, and alter normal posture. Fascia that has micro tears, has sustained an injury, or has become inflamed. This can lead to chronic pain, reduce an individual’s range of motion, flexibility, and decreased athletic performance.

Myofascial release is a manual therapy technique in which gentle, sustained pressure is used on the soft tissues while traction is applied to the fascia. Self-Myofascial Release (SMR) on a foam roller is an effective, inexpensive way to reduce and eliminate adhesion and scar tissue accumulation. This technique results in softening and lengthening the fascia and breaking down scar tissue and adhesions between skin, muscles, and bones. Foam rolling helps to reduce compensatory movement patterns, gets the blood flowing to muscle and fascias tissue, and allows the joints to move with greater freedom.

The foam roller itself is a six-inch-round, foam-celled cylinder that looks like a big pool noodle. To use it, simply put the roller on the ground and allow the weight of your body to press into the surface of the roller. CCN has two foam rollers. The grey foam roller is a less dense roller and the black foam roller is denser.

You should roll at a slow pace, building up a deliberate wave of pressure over tender areas until they become less sensitive. The pressure from the roller will produce a deep local stretch, pushing apart the gnarled tissue and relaxing over-stimulated fibers.

It’s best to begin rolling muscles at their proximal (closest to the body) attachments. Then, you should work distally (away from the center) to accommodate changes in intramuscular tension. As you get more comfortable on the roller, you should bear down with increased force. Move from working both legs at once to one leg at a time, or stack one of your legs on top of the other to increase the amount of pressure.