Understand fascia and why you should care

Fascia is a highly sensitive, interconnected system that links the muscles and tissues of the entire body. It is a force of life next to blood.  Had there been no fascia, the entire tone and structure of the muscles would have been like patty in a burger, the organs would possess nomadic instincts and the bones will burn down like ashes.  

Understanding fascia and the role it plays can help in revolutionizing the way one exercises, how athletes train, how surgeons operate and how pain management is addressed. So, the better you understand it, the better it will work and the more in tune you will be with your body.

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What is fascia?

Fascia refers to an interconnected system of tissues that lie under the surface of the skin. When seen under a microscope, they look like impeccably organized formulation of tubes that are filled with water. Fascia’s job is to attach, enclose, stabilize, and separate the muscles as well as internal organs.

What does it do?

Fascia coils around different muscles and tissues to connect them. For instance, the heart fascia is connected at the collarbone, which connects to the fingers and arms. The fascia sheets connect bones, muscle bundles, arteries, nerves, and veins applying compression and tension to the body’s material that it surrounds.

When you suffer physical pain the fascia around the affected area gives a sensation of stretch, which makes the area surrounding the wound tight. Tendons as well as ligaments are different layers of fascia that are supposed to absorb shock as well as distribute the impact. And if the tendons are short and dehydrated, they will not be able to absorb any impact and end up causing pain.

Another important function of fascia is to surround different organs and help them stay put. Every minute activity that you perform is fascially connected to the muscle fascia, which is connected to movement.

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Why should you care?

Fascia is highly sensitive to all sorts of muscular movements. It is fascia that absorbs movements and not muscles as is popularly believed. Fascia matters because injury-free sports, joint health, fluid movement, and oral health are all dependent on the fascial system. This should be enough to help you become more aware of every part of your body the same way i.e. without giving importance to one over another. The health of the entire body translates to overall internal health.

Image source : Getty

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