fascia

Most jobs use the same set of muscles over and over. I have seen repetitive stress injuries in people who do all sorts of work when I visit them. I once treated an engineer who was always bent over his drafting board. He suffered nerve pain from his neck, straight down to his dominant hand.

Painters usually develop arm, neck and back problems. Hairdressers and makeup artists work with the elbow lifted higher than the shoulder for long periods, so they also suffer from neck and arms problems. 

I have treated many people in my practice over the past few years, some that work in offices sitting for long periods, others that work as labours standing on their feet for hours at a time, to athletes and those who have suffered car accidents.

Over some time, I have perceived my clients to have these factors in common:

• Their day to day life is limited
• They have tried different treatments
• They have been prescribed many medications

 I typically hear the same complaint; they all suffer from pain! But what causes this?

Whatever your lifestyle or routine might be, you’re always putting your body through challenges and adaptations where its ability to repair itself is always a primary task.

One of the most common factors of muscle tension and knots are related to Fascia, but what is Fascia? It’s a sheet of connective tissue that joins your whole body; it protects and separates muscles from each other, it encases nerves, organs and ligaments. Water makes up roughly 70 percent of Fascia and muscle. Healthy Fascia has a gel-like texture, and it holds water like a sponge. Fascia is very flexible and can take an incredible amount of pulling or compression. 

 When this elastic spider web loses its ability to move freely, it limits the muscle’s full contraction, which means a decrease in range of motion (ROM). Life is about balance; over-use, under-used and trauma can cause kinks in the Fascia, resulting in what is known as muscle knots. Another cause of tightness and tension in the Fascia is lifestyle habits such as bad posture. 

Test Your Fascia

You can test your collagen and elastin of your Fascia with a simple snap test: 

• Put your palm flat on a table in front of you.
• Take your other hand, pinch up a fold of skin over the back of the flat hand.
•  Pull it up, hold it for five seconds, and let it go.
•  If it snaps back instantaneously, your Fascia is high quality and youthful.
•  More than two seconds to re-form, either you’re dehydrated, or you’re probably middle-aged or older. The older you are, the longer the collagen and elastin take to re-form.

This test gives only a general idea of the condition of your Fascia. 

I have a client that has been at the same job for many years, working all day hunched over a

desk. Her hip muscles have shrunk over time from all the sitting, causing tightness in her hips and chest muscles, pulling her weight forward, creating stress and weakness in her lower back. The Fascia is the lumbar spine area that compensates for this weakness by growing thicker. Once thickened, it becomes shorter and with decreased movements, causing the rest of the Fascia on the backside of her body to become over-elongated and immobile, setting this worker up for back, shoulder, and neck pain.

It’s not easy stopping bad habits or changing careers to help eliminate pain. Sometimes, we have to learn better ways to manage our physical body; and find pain relief with new solutions.

Here are a few tips to help:

• Take shorter breaks, get up and move around
• Do some stretches at least once an hour
• Drink plenty of water
• Go for a massage regularly

Taking shorter breaks and getting up to move around at least once an hour can mitigate some of the adverse effects of constant positions like sitting or standing.

All past injuries are stored in the Fascia. These traumas change the natural form, holding the person in the damaged position. With stretching, you thin out the Fascia, releasing the person from being held in that position.

When there is not enough water in your tissues or proper collagen formation, you can rest assured that your Fascia won’t be healthy. That’s why it always emphasizes drinking enough water, fully hydrating the Fascia, and taking supplements to support its protein components’ health. The more water content, the more gelatinous it will be, making it a significant body structural component. 

Fascia releasing techniques can be included as a part of massage therapy treatment. Basically, the practitioner will locate the restriction points and pull away from them gently and using little oil on the patient’s skin to have a better grip and be more effective.