Fascia has long been underappreciated as just connective tissue and written off as merely structural support.
Some in the healthcare field aren’t even aware of its existence.
Recently, scientists have discovered a “new” organ called the interstitium, which is part of the fascial network. While it is a major component to our structural integrity, fascia influences so much more!
Conditions ranging from a stiff neck to fibromyalgia, cellulite to chronic fatigue, or IT band syndrome to IBS can be associated with fascial restrictions.
Much like a pair of skinny jeans after Thanksgiving, a little fascial tension anywhere can cause tension everywhere. Fascia is a continuous sheet that covers and connects every muscle, tendon, ligament, blood vessel, and organ1.
What most don’t know is that there exists a link between the anatomy mentioned above and structures at the cellular level. This means that your tight “hammies” affect a system-wide tension that influence the shape of your cells and even alter cellular functions!
This is just one example of how structure begets function. Wheels are made round because they roll much easier than a square. Fascia was designed in such a way to optimally support our body structurally, chemically, and energetically.
The design of our body is so wonderfully created that not a single stitch of our fabric is irrelevant or inconsequential.
Fascia is composed so that it functions like the case around a battery. If your battery has a leak, it doesn’t matter how long you charge it. You will never get that charge to hold.
It’s much the same if you have restrictions, or adhesions, in your fascial sheet. You may be spinning your tires trying to fight fatigue with all of your pricey supplements, organic food, and essential oils. All that wonderful, positive energy will leak back out into the ethers if you have fascial problems.
Memories and emotions can get loaded into our fascial tissues as well. This can positively affect the likes of elite athletes, as they appear almost automatic and effortless when competing.
On the other side of that same coin, we find that fascia can also hold onto negative memory. Various environmental toxins can be deposited in our tissues; toxic emotions and trauma (physical, verbal, energetic, et al.) are no different.
The more these pile up, the more they weigh on us. This affects us physically, energetically, and spiritually, vying against our optimal function.
Think back to your last really stressful day at work (unfortunately, this isn’t likely too far back for most of us). Think about the words you may have uttered to your co-workers while venting in recessed corners of the office lest your boss overhear you.
Phrases like, “I’m buried/swamped/burned out/worn out” or “That guy is such a pain in the butt/neck” were probably mentioned. We think these words stop at figurative, but they resonate deep within our bodies.
Our expressions may very well depict what is occurring within our tissues. This then plays out in our posture to the point where we are slumped over and dragging our heels by the time we punch out at the end of the workday.
Fascia requires intentional maintenance. Hydration and our thoughts are the two most significant factors.
It takes up to 15,000 water molecules to hydrate one matrix protein (think one Lego brick) in your fascial sheet2. This makes water one of the most important factors in maintaining optimum fascia.
When we consider the work of Masaru Emoto, we realize the even-greater importance of water, our thoughts, our words and our fascia.
Emoto’s research shows that water molecules will arrange in a beautiful, organized pattern when exposed to positive stimuli (e.g. love, prayer) or in a distorted, chaotic arrangement when exposed to negative stimuli (e.g. hate, pollutants).
A positive mood or positive language (with ourselves and with others) can actually improve the structural integrity of our connective tissue!
If we truly want to let go of the pain and tension in our body, we must look beyond the fact that we should stretch more. We cannot overlook the factors affecting our health that we can’t see, whether with our eyes or under a microscope.
The integrity of our fascia will reflect how balanced we are in every aspect of our lifestyle. How we treat our fellow brother/sister, what we say about ourselves, what food we eat, what we listen to/watch, and what we allow into our lives will play out in our fascia.
What else can we do with our lifestyle to best maintain our fascia?
Structurally – think of these like an iron to take out the wrinkles in your fascial sheet:
- Massage
- Stretching, Pilates
- Foam rolling (here’s a good resource to get started)
- Dry skin brushing
Chemically
- Hydrate – half your body’s weight in ounces per day is a good start
- Lowering your animal protein – too much leads to congested connective tissue
- Omega 3s – help keep the inflammation down and tissues resilient
- Silica – found in diatomaceous earth and common horsetail, this mineral helps to form and reinforce the collagen scaffolding of fascia
Energetically
- Relationships – in the same way that fascia connects cell to cell, part to part, we were made for human connections. How we connect and relate with each other reflects how our tissues will connect with each other. Love brought us together and holds us together (Ephesians 4:16).
Intentional efforts such as eating completely organic, exercising, and being a loving person are all necessary and good. But, knowing why you do them and what purpose they serve can help solidify your discipline.
Awareness can bring a better understanding, understanding brings appreciation, and appreciation brings a deeper self-love.
I like the words of Og Mandino with respect to this:
“And most of all, I will love myself. For when I do, I will zealously inspect all things which enter my body, my mind, my soul, my heart.”
Once we realize their full impact on our health – our perspective on life, how we go about our daily interactions with others, and our responses to our environment – we just might inspect all things a little more closely.
References
- Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2016 Mar;97(3):454-61.
- Spyrakis, Francesca, et al. “The Roles of Water in the Protein Matrix: A Largely Untapped Resource for Drug Discovery.” Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, vol. 60, no. 16, 2017, pp. 6781–6827.
