I've spoken with many patients about the wonderful experience they had at Body Worlds learning about human anatomy. I myself did countless laps of the place in awe of the intricacy of the body. Gunther von Hagens did an amazing job bringing the wonderful world of anatomy to the masses. However, there was one thing missing. The one thing that always bothers me whenever I view dissections is often the missing link when understanding how the human body moves. We always view anatomy with the fascia removed!
Now some of you may ask: what is fascia?
Fascia is connective tissue that exists between other tissues of the body. It surrounds all of our muscles and connects every part of the body to every other part. Basically, fascia unifies the entire body. As movement-based therapists we usually forget about this fact. We attempt to "stretch the hamstrings" or "stretch the quads", ignoring this continuous sac that the individual items are contained in.
Fascia is connective tissue that exists between other tissues of the body. It surrounds all of our muscles and connects every part of the body to every other part. Basically, fascia unifies the entire body. As movement-based therapists we usually forget about this fact. We attempt to "stretch the hamstrings" or "stretch the quads", ignoring this continuous sac that the individual items are contained in.
Try a little test …
If you have done any sort of organized physical activity you have probably learned a stretch for your hamstrings at one point in your life. Try stretching your hamstring with your toe pointed. Now, try flexing your toes up toward the rest of your body. You feel a stronger pull in the back of the thigh, don't you? Thinking strictly in terms of muscles, moving the foot should have absolutely no influence on the hamstrings. This pull that you feel is because the structures are interconnected by something other than muscle: the fascia (and also by nerves, I'll discuss this in more detail in a later post).
So, now that we know what fascia is, why is it so important?
Fascia is laid down between the muscles any time we are immobile (ie. sleeping through the night). It is then broken down when the tissues of the body slide across each other. If we move on a daily basis, we will break down the fascia that was laid down overnight. However, if we don't move our tissues, the fascia gets thicker and eventually will bind our tissues so they are stuck. An extreme example of this is the stiffness one has in a joint after they get out of a cast. This can also be viewed in another light; if you never bend forward to touch your toes, eventually you won't be able to touch your toes any more.
When stretching routines are designed, they are most frequently designed to target specific muscles. This approach is often missing the intricacies of the interconnections between the muscles. Next time you are stretching, try to not only think of the muscles you are stretching, but the sensations that you feel. Pay attention to where you feel tightness and don't avoid positions that make you feel tighter. But, more important than stretching, make sure you move on a daily basis through full ranges of motion. Yoga, pilates, and swimming are all good activities to do on a daily basis to make sure you break down the fascial bonds that everyone builds up nightly.
Here is a great video that illustrates what fascia looks like in the human body; only watch it if viewing human dissections doesn't bother you:
Dave Zelibka, BScPT, GunnIMS, CAFCI
Registered Physiotherapist
London, Ontario
London, Ontario
Phone: (226)777-7111
Email: dave@elevatephysio.com
Great blog! I have been hearing a lot of information about Calgary physiotherapy. So I decided to do some research. I appreciate the information about fascia. I will definitely be back for more.
ReplyDelete