The Fascination with Fascia

Elevation Physiotherapy & Wellness :: The Fascination with Fascia

New research indicates that certain cells found in the fascia communicate directly with the nervous system, each other, and with every other organ in the body. If this is true, this thinking challenges what we thought we knew—the central nervous system may not be the one in control of all of the body systems.

It used to be thought that the fascia was just a wall of tissue that surrounds everything—lining the walls of the trunk and pelvis, wrapping around muscles and organs.  This new research is showing that the fascia is more like a highway where cells live and where nutrients and waste can travel to other cells or directly to the lymphatic system. If true, it makes sense that the fascia would play a significant role in our immune system and overall wellness.

There are different types of fascia—superficial or deep, dense or non-dense.  The fascia of the nervous system is called meninges, the fascia surrounding the lungs is plurae, and the pericardium surrounds the heart.  Are all of these different types of fascia connected and working together on some deeper level?  Do they communicate amongst each other, and to the body as a whole?  We don’t know that yet for sure.

Sue Hitzmann, creator of ‘The Melt Method’ to address fascia, feels that it is key to keep fascia hydrated, and not just by drinking a lot of water.  Injury to the fascia through trauma or injury can cause it to become stiff, and just drinking water would be like running a faucet over a dry sponge.  It would take gentle manipulation of the fascia to “loosen” or mobilize the tissue and increase the intracellular fluid.

The research shows that our fascia is filled with proprioceptors which tell us where our body is in space. When proprioception goes awry because of injury to the fascia from muscle overuse, improper movement, and/or posture, the fascial layers no longer glide smoothly or work properly. The central nervous system would then take over, and if this goes on for too long, it becomes overworked and can contribute to neurological disorders or autoimmune disease like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.

Wouldn’t it be great to use non-pharmacological treatments that could tap into our bodies’ own natural defenses against degenerative diseases. We know that eating right and moving help keep us healthy into old age, but we must move well and keep our fascia pliable and nourished. 

Strength Training

No one has ever told me that they feel they have injured their (fill in the blank here) because they are too strong.  I agree with this article in The Globe and Mail on two tenets of strength training.

I would also emphasize that form is important, and breathing is even more important, especially with core work.  Ideally with every exercise you want to perform a core breath, which is actively engaging the pelvic floor muscles as you exhale.  This manages the increase in abdominal pressure as you are working your core muscles, and prevents that pressure from being forced downward to your pelvic floor muscles.

Gardening Tips for Spring

Gardening can be a form of exercise. Doing basic gardening tasks such as weeding, trimming

and raking can burn up to 300 calories an hour. It’s a good way to maintain flexibility and range of motion in your shoulders, hips and back, as well as building strength and endurance. Avoid pain and injury by starting with planned shortened sessions and gradually increase activities.

USE PROPER BODY MECHANICS
When digging or raking, make sure your neck and back are fairly straight, and you’re not holding a position where you’re rounding forward—be upright, and use your legs to move around, not reaching over with your arms! Always bend from the hip joint to keep your back straight, and not from the waist.  When lifting, try to “hinge” from the hips and use your legs.

Continue reading →

Your Journey to a Better Back: Part 5- Back strengthening exercises

Once you’re feeling better and don’t have particular pain, you can try these two exercises that target the deep back muscles.  They shouldn’t be painful, but rather just challenging for your muscles to do several repetitions or hold for awhile.  If either exercise is creating pain, check with your Physiotherapist to make sure they are appropriate exercises for you!  Enjoy!

The Most Important Muscle You Didn’t Know You Had

Many people can happily live their lives without ever giving their diaphragm much thought at all. You don’t have to think much about breathing, it just happens automatically. But when you take in air, your diaphragm lowers to allow room for your lungs to expand.  It is attached to the lower six ribs, the xiphoid process (bottom part) of the sternum, and the first three lumbar vertebrae.  There is also a connection between the diaphragm and the psoas (hip flexor) muscle and the quadratus lumborum (stabilization) muscle.

 

A Physiotherapist can quite easily examine if your diaphragm is functioning properly by placing their hands around your ribcage with thumbs next to the spine, and watching if there is symmetry in the movement when you take a deep breath.  It is also helpful to examine the psoas and QL muscles for tightness and trigger points. The nerve that supplies the diaphragm, namely the phrenic nerve, arises from C3-C5 in your neck, and those vertebrae should be examined to see if mobilization there has any influence on diaphragmatic symptoms. The junction of the thoracic and lumbar spine (T12/L1) should be assessed as that area often develops stiffness or less mobility– remember the diaphragm attaches to L1-L3.  If you have lower back pain, it could be in part due to a restriction of normal movement in this area of the spine.