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Fascia - A Source of Healing

Writer's picture: mBody Physical TherapymBody Physical Therapy

As a holistic physical therapist with over 20 years of experience, I have come to see myself as a sort of detective. Each one of us comes with our own unique history that has shaped the body we live in. Throughout life, we have all experienced injuries, small or large. These injuries can often lead to compensatory patterns. These patterns may not be very obvious, but when you stack one compensation upon another, the body begins to function in ways it was not meant to.


Evaluating the whole person, not just the area of symptoms is crucial in the effective treatment of an injury. Understanding the fascia, and how it connects us from head to toe is one of the best ways of restoring the body’s balance and alignment.


Fascia is the thing that holds us together. It is the 3D web of connective tissue that connects us from head to toe. It transmits forces and communicates information from one part of the body to another. Without fascia, we would essentially be a puddle on the floor.


It is not until fairly recently that we have begun to understand how the fascia works and its significance in our overall health. This largest organ may be one of the leading causes of disease and pain, and in the same respect, it can hold the source of our healing.


Healthy fascia slides and glides, allowing for freedom of movement. Habitual postures and motions, emotional and physical traumas, surgeries and infections can cause the fascia to become tethered, dehydrated and tight. When this happens, the body’s freedom of movement becomes limited.


The fascia will tend to thicken in an area of injury to support that part of the body, while perhaps lengthening in another direction. This change in fascial structure affects the interconnected web throughout the body. This can pull on blood vessels, nerves and can affect the way forces are transmitted through the musculoskeletal system. This is how the ripple effect of an injury in one part of the body can result in pain or dysfunction elsewhere.


It is the fascial suit we wear that largely determines our posture and the way we function and move throughout our day. The fascia tells our story and carries our history. Treatment needs to be focused on the entire person, not just the symptoms. Treating the entire system can help to restore the body’s balance and alignment encouraging it to heal itself.


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