What Is Fascia

The term Fascia, as used by the medical field, describes certain sheets of biological fabric inside the body (ex. plantar fascia or thoracolumbar fascia).  Anatomists now use the term to describe the fibrous net that literally holds our body together.

Fascia surrounds every cell in our body and connects everything in our body together.  Muscles, bones, organs, skin, nerves, blood vessels and joints are all connected together by the fascia.  For decades the fascia, also known as the "Cinderella" tissue of the body due to its neglect, was thrown away in most anatomical dissections.  This unorganized "white stuff" got in the way of viewing the "important structures that mattered" like muscles, organs and bones.  If you have ever cooked raw chicken, all the white grisly stuff around the meat is the fascia of the chicken.  Recent research now reveals that the fascia plays a very important role in how we move and perceive injuries and pain.  It is THE main sensory organ in our body!

Our fascia is spread throughout our bodies in long pathways.  They tie muscles to other muscles to create the wide variety of movements our bodies are able to perform.  Restrictions in these pathways can cause injuries and pain in seemingly unrelated places.  Like a sprained ankle could manifest itself into shoulder or neck pain weeks, months or even years after the initial injury if it had not been properly healed.  Until the actual cause of the pain is found, many people struggle with persistent pain and reoccurring injuries.

Fascia research has turned our perceptions of body form and function, structure and physiology upside down.  Fascia has become the new darling of science.  We are still discovering new things about the body.  If your doctor is stuck with the mentality of looking at your body like a machine and telling you that your pain is coming from your "old age" and your joints that have "worn out", maybe it's time to explore new options.  THE KNOWLEDGE OF FASCIA IS THE FUTURE!!