Fascial Tissue
Summary
Fascia is a dense irregular connective tissue that compartmentalizes muscles, nerves and organs. There are essentially 3 types of fascia found within the body. Superficial Fascia, which is mostly associated with the skin; Deep Fascia, which is the muscles, bones, nerves and blood vessels; and Visceral (or Subserous) Fascia, that is mostly associated with the internal organs. Some mechanical properties of fascia allow for change within the tissues that can improve range of motion, blood flow, and sensation/proprioception. Structural change can be achieved through stimulation of the fascial tissue by an acid called hyaluronan; a natural byproduct of friction and mechanical pressure to act as a lubricant between the tissues. When this acid lubricates the tissues, the sticky fascial tissue becomes more pliable and supple, allowing for more movement between the tissues and joints. Mechanical stimulation of nerve endings can also have an effect on pain, range of motion, proprioception and threat perception.

Cause
There are many factors that cause fascia to become tight and restricted. Some of the factors may include but are not limited to the following:
- Overuse- straining an area can things to be bound up and less mobile overtime.
- Immobility- if you don’t use it you lose it, if you are in one position for too long, it will cause things to become tight and restricted.
- Previous injury- after an injury, things will be restricted due to collagen build up for protection against re-injury.
- Stress- due to the nervous system’s role in fascial tissue, stress can have a major impact on tissue quality.
- Posture- Chronic holding patterns can cause injury, pain, and range of motion restrictions if not taken care of.
Effects
Tight and restricted fascial tissue can restrict movement and blood flow, inhibit sensation, and dampen proprioception over time. These effects can cause long term issues that are often overlooked, improperly treated with injections, surgeries, pills or other things such as ice and heat that offer no real solution to the underlying issue, which may be within the fascial system. If you are dealing with pain, movement dysfunction, mobility or stability issues, working with the fascia may help you improve your current situation due to its impact on the rest of the body. Motion is lotion for the issues in the tissues! Move it or lose it!
Treatment
At structura, our main focus is improving function and decreasing pain in your body’s tissues. Through our treatment approach, we have several therapies to help improve function, range of motion, posture, decrease pain, discomfort and instabilities.
- Structural Integration: is a series of 10 sessions to improve function, chronic holding patterns, posture, and provide balance throughout the entire body.
- Structural Physiotherapy: is a more targeted approach of manual therapy to treat specific issues and ailments.
- Postural Alignment Therapy: improves the function and balance throughout the body through specific exercises to help strengthen specific muscles to provide better stability and alignment throughout the body.
Mobility Therapy: helps to improve range of motion in specific areas that need it the most to help the tissues move more efficiently.
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