Thoughts on Fascia
I am reading David Lesondak’s book, “Fascia: What It Is and Why It Matters.” There’s a quote near the beginning that I think is a helpful framework to understand fascia. “Fascia is your soft skeleton.” - by Andry Vleeming
Dr. Ida Rolf thought that fascia was a key element that structural integration could address. Science is catching up to her ideas. Here are a few items that can help you understand this system in the body.
Per Verywell Health,
Fascia is located all over your body, and while it surrounds all tissues, it can be divided into … distinct types based on location. Types of fascia include:
Superficial fascia: This type of fascia is associated with your skin.
Deep fascia: Deep fascia surrounds your bones, nerves, muscles, arteries, and veins.
Visceral fascia: This fascia surrounds your internal organs.
Parietal fascia: Parietal fascia is present in the pelvis and lines the walls of the body cavity.
Fascia may be innervated by nerves and send pain signals to your brain. Microcapillaries supply blood and nutrients to the fascia.
The Cleveland Clinic’s website says:
Fascia is a sheath of stringy connective tissue that surrounds every part of your body. It provides support to your muscles, tendons, ligaments, tissues, organs, nerves, joints and bones. When your fascia is healthy, it’s flexible and stretches with you. When your fascia tightens up, it can restrict movement and cause painful health conditions.
You might think you have muscle pain, and it could really be your fascia. Johns Hopkins points out,
In general, muscle injuries and joint problems feel worse the more you move. Fascia adhesions tend to feel better with movement and also respond well to heat therapy, which helps bring back the tissue’s elasticity.
To keep your fascia in good condition, get regular movement, stretch, and keep hydrated. Rolfing and CranioSacral therapy also help your fascial system stay flexible.
Note: The image below is not a photo of fascia, but it gives a general representation of what it looks like.
