The science behind fascia and the pain-related ailments it can cause.

Years ago in the anatomy lab, doctors in training needed to perform dissections on the human body. The purpose was to teach future doctors about how the human body is constructed.   We would first have to cut through this web of fascia that covered the muscles and organs of the body as well as the nerves.

We were taught that muscles each had a specific function and that the fascia served little purpose.  Today, we now understand that the fascia is an exoskeleton that controls how we move.   It also molds according to the forces we place upon it. We now are understanding that fascia is adaptive.

The fascia also has its own nervous system that integrates with other tissues.   It is possible that acupuncture points are merely nerve junctions in the fascia.

There is a growing understanding that fascial release which is growing in popularity is very effective in relieving pain since it can help remold fascia that is forcing us to move inappropriately, causing pain.  Even though science supports it, mainstream medicine has yet to fully embrace the idea.

Foam rollers have become quite popular since it allows us to perform fascial release on ourselves.   It has also become part of many workout regimens.

The science behind our understanding of fascia and the fascial system shows us that when treated properly, the fascia will remold, improving movement patterns.  Last year’s Annals of Internal Medicine showed us that back pain is a movement-based issue.  Fascial release improves the way we move along with exercise and manipulation of the joints of the spine and extremities. Perhaps this is why sports chiropractors who perform myofascial release, give exercises to their patients and adjust the spine and extremities are effective at resolving painful conditions such as back pain.

Recently, CNN published an article regarding the growing science behind fascia and why it is important for us to move properly.  The idea was that science shows us that pain improves with movement and many of the things chiropractors do are not only movement-based but also are effective because they restore movement naturally, without drugs or surgery.

Check out this recent CNN article

The real science behind fascia ailments

By Dr. Melina Jampolis, CNN Thu November 8, 2018

Most of you have probably never heard of fascia, or if you have, it may be in the context of “blasting” it to treat cellulite. But talking about fascia has become trendy recently, and not only in the context of looking better in your swimsuit.

A Google search returns more than 79 million hits for the term, and there is even a conference, now in its fifth year, that is entirely devoted to fascia research.
What is fascia?

According to Stedman’s Medical Dictionary, fascia is “a sheet of fibrous tissue that envelops the body beneath the skin; it also encloses muscles and groups of muscles and separates their several layers or groups.”

But this definition is incomplete. Fascia can actually be classified into four types, each with different properties, functions, and characteristics. The superficial fascia surrounds the body and includes subcutaneous fat; the deep fascia surrounds the musculoskeletal system; the meningeal fascia surrounds the nervous system; the visceral fascia surrounds body cavities and organs.

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