Fascinating Fascia: The Body’s Hidden Water Reservoir

Your fascia works just like a sponge.  What does a sponge do?  Holds moisture.  

The fascia stores approximately 70% of the water found in the body.  Water passes through your arteries into the interstitial space (the ground substance), binds to hyaluronan which is carried throughout your fascial network hydrating your body and expelled back into your veins or lymphatic system.  But, the hyaluronan can also function as a "sticky glue", preventing easy sliding between surrounding tissue layers.

How does this happen?

The hyaluronan takes on the form of super molecules, which are multiple times the size of normal water molecules.  Increasing the viscosity of the hyaluronan tends to happen in more acidic conditions, when the tissue is exposed to repetitive mechanical overloading, or stress related injuries.  This can lead to a local stiffening, adhesion formation, and a decrease in range of motion in everyday living.

Increasing temperature in the tissues through exercise and movement causes a break down in the larger molecules creating smaller fragments which then lowers the viscosity of the hyaluronan.

Exercise and movement are a vital component to mastering chronic pain as this will bring the body back in neutral balance with our water storage capacities.  A healthy body will prevent the hyaluronan from soaking up excessive amounts of water and turning it into glue.

Achieving this is quite simple.  Preloading (stretching) the local collagen fiber network will prevent the hyaluronan from soaking up as much water as it wants to expanding the tissues.  

Compression and friction of the tissues using soft foam rollers, balls, etc will help to target areas of sticky hyaluronan, squeezing the excess fluid out of the tissue and helping the water to flow freely again through your fascia network.

Curious to learn more?  Join my Dynamic Fascia Fitness Classes to learn these very easy, gentle techniques to get your body back on track to healing and moving better.  

Click here to learn more.

Stay supple!

Nicole