What is Fascia?
Fascia is a specialized system of the body that has an appearance similar to a spider's web or a sweater. Fascia is very densely woven, covering and interpenetrating every muscle, bone, nerve, artery and vein, as well as, all of our internal organs including the heart, lungs, brain and spinal cord. The most interesting aspect of the fascial system is that it is not just a system of separate coverings. It is actually one continuous structure that exists from head to toe without interruption. In this way you can begin to see that each part of the entire body is connected to every other part by the fascia, like the yarn in a sweater. Trauma (falls, accidents, physical and emotional abuse) inflammatory responses (illnesses and disease) and surgical procedures create restrictions that can produce tensile pressure of approximately 2,000 pounds per square inch on pain sensitive structures that do not show up on many standard test (x-rays, CAT scans, MRI's). *This fascial image is courtesy of Dr. Jean-Claude Guimberteau |