What You Need to Know About Your Fascia - BBmassageandfloat

Posted by Vicky Mamoria on January 29th, 2019

Fascia is a sheet of fibrous connective tissue that envelops, binds together or separates internal structures like organs and muscles. Fascia provides a supportive wrapping for blood vessels so that circulation can move through and between muscles to keep them stay hydrated. Fascia is wet, slippery and very strong. It stops you from over-stretching to prevent injury. It serves as a connector of muscles to bone as well as muscle to muscle. It binds the inner parts of the body together, balancing stressors and counter stressors to create a moveable, resilient and flexible body unit. Fascia is never-ending, it is continuous throughout the entire body.

Through the normal wear and tear of living life as well as by accident and injury, we cause a lot of damage to our fascia through our daily activities. In spite of that, you do not need to panic.  Much of the damage can be corrected and there are many ways to maintain healthy fascia.

How To Care For Your Fascia

Move It Or Lose It

Medical reports have shown that part of the cause for the formation of adhesions is a sedentary lifestyle. There is a tendency for adhesion formation in any surface of the body that is not frequently moved. Over time, the accumulation of this adhesion will result in an abnormal range of motion. A full body stretching practice or a full body yoga sequence once a day can help to prevent this. This doesn’t need to cost you any money but will save you from many potential problems throughout your life.

Stay Hydrated

Proper hydration is crucial for maintaining healthy fascia. Fascia performs optimally when it is wet. Make sure you are drinking enough water throughout the day, every day. A good amount of electrolytes (minerals) is also important or your body will not be able to fully absorb and utilize the water.

Use A Foam Roller

Foam rolling your muscles and fascia has similar benefits to stretching and massage. When you slowly move the roller, it will be easy to identify an area of tension that needs to be worked over more to loosen bound tissue. A personal trainer, massage therapist, physical therapist, or online videos can be a great resource to use to learn more about foam rolling techniques that can help you with your trouble spots.

Respect Your Body

Do not force things, give your body the  respect it deserves. Overextending yourself during a workout can result in damage to your body. If an injury is sustained, seek out physical therapy and therapeutic massage to encourage proper healing and recovery. Inadequate healing may negatively affect your posture and encourage damaging movement patterns.

See A Fascia Specialist

Massage therapists work with fascia and the body, hands-on, every day. There are many massage treatments and modalities that have been proven to help correct problems caused by adhesions in the fascia. Be sure to seek out a trained massage therapist and communicate about your goals for fascial work. At Body Balance Massage and Float located in American Fork, we have a passion for healing and helping you with options for pain relief. Our employees are highly skilled massage therapists with experience. We look forward to helping you!