Understanding Fascia: what it is, how it works and what keeps it healthy

What it is

A simple explanation of fascia is to say it’s like a living Saran Wrap. Made mainly of water, collagen and elastin, this complex and ever-changing web of reactive, fibrous connective tissue permeates our entire body, immersed in a nourishing fluid to assist the glide in our joints, contractions of our muscles and support for our organs. This connective tissue and its fluid matrix is what gives our body shape. It not only holds our form, but helps us move with ease, provides force transmission and communicates with our nervous system through a variety of receptors that are messengers of temperature, pressure and muscle tension. Recently, science has shown that fascia can also influence emotional experiences and detect and respond to light stimuli. Now that’s a fancy Saran Wrap! 

How it works

The fibrous web of fascia is like a mesh bag: pulling on one side of the bag, you can see the whole react and respond to the tension. The same thing happens in our body when we move. The line of pull creates a sponging effect, squeezing muscles, pumping blood and moving fascia’s fluid component through its gel-like matrix, stimulating the cells and receptors within it.  

Alongside these receptors are a number of cells to assist fascia’s function. One type of cell is a fern-like structure whose job is to float around the fluid matrix in search of water, acting like a sponge to keep the matrix full and able to respond to movement with ease. If water isn’t plentiful in the body, the cells curl up like a dry fern, which means less cushioning. Movement-wise, this translates into less range of motion for joints and muscle stiffness.

Another amazing cell in this fluid matrix is like a little snail that travels along the crisscross pattern of the fibers leaving a gooey trail behind. The importance of this cell is twofold. The gooey trail is composed of new layers of collagen and elastin that remodel, revitalize and reshape the fascia. Second and most important, these cells are stimulated by movement. The sponging effect and mesh-bag response in the body pulls these little guys along the fascial web, repairing and bolstering the fascial network.

What keeps it healthy

The health of our fascia is dependent on movement. It’s trained by how we move (or don’t move) and is affected by interruptions in our movement from overuse or repetitive strain, surgery, illness, or a sedentary lifestyle that doesn’t offer much movement stimulation.  Without stimulation, the ferns dry up, the snails don’t move and the saran wrap gets stuck, resulting in stiffness, pain, loss of mobility and we slow down.

Stay tuned for more! The June blog will continue with part two: four functions of fascia, how to train it and a link to a complimentary movement class. Meantime, drink a lot of water to plump those ferns and enjoy the springtime weather keeping those snails happy and Saran Wrap stretchy!