The Fascinating World of Fascia

To expand upon the food for the fascia that we learned about in last month's newsletter, I wanted to go into a little more detail about water and hydration of the fascia.  The fascia stores 70% of the water found inside the body and works much like a sponge.  But the fascia can become sticky and gluey, preventing proper water storage.  This stickiness is what constricts movement leading to chronic pain.

Let's take a moment to better understand how water is actually stored inside the body.  Water enters the ground substance (interstitial matrix) via the small arterioles and is express as blood plasma.  The interstitial matrix is the space between all tissues and cells.  Once the water enters the ground substance it binds to a proteoglycan protein called hyaluronan, until it is needed and returned back into the body via the venous vessels and lymphatic system.

Peripheral edema comes from the water molecule binding to larger inflammatory cells which make it too big to pass into the venous vessels or lymphatic system to be eliminated.  Lymphatic drainage techniques are important to breakdown these large molecules and help the body eliminate them.  

Hyaluronan is a miraculous molecule.  It is one of the most "water-loving" (hydrophilic) molecules in nature.  Hyaluronan has the capacity to trap up to 1000 times its own weight in water!  Hyaluronan is usually considered a lubricant, which implies that it decreases friction between adjacent tissue layers, allow them the slide against each other.  

Interestingly, hyaluronan can also function as a "sticky glue", preventing easy sliding between adjacent tissue layers.  This happens when hyaluronan binds to "super molecules" which are much larger in size than normal water molecules.  This increase in viscosity happens when the ground substance is acidic in nature.  It also happens when the tissue is exposed to repetitive mechanical overloading, such as in exercise or in repetitive strain injuries.  This can cause stiffening of the tissues and decreased range of motion over time.

Of note, an increase in tissue temperature tends to break down the large molecular structure into smaller fragments, which decreases viscosity.

Studies have shown that this glue-like viscosity can be reduced through compression and shearing exercises over the adhered areas increasing movement and range of motion.

A healthy body will keep the rehydration mechanism of the fascia in balance.  Stretching the tissues will also cause a compression of the fascia promoting release of the gluey substance and facilitate absorption of new, fresh, healthy water back into the ground substance.  

It only takes 4 hours of inactivity for your fascia to begin remodeling and taking on a new shape.  If you sit all day, your fascia will conform to the shape of the chair you are sitting in.  Ever notice when you go to stand up after awhile that your body is stiff and doesn't want to straighten out?  That is the fascia remodeling itself.  General rule, for every hour sitting, get up and walk for 10 minutes to move the body.  The movement is triggering the compression of the tissues and proper rehydration of the fascia network.  

I teach the techniques needed to identify adhesions (gluey, sticky areas), break the adhesion apart, and stimulate your fascia to move correctly in my in-person classes.  Check it out below.

Dynamic Fascia Fitness

Learn how to listen to your body and give it what it wants. I'll teach you how to:

• See areas of adhesions in your body
• Connect with your body through awareness
• Align your fitness goals with your reality

Are you an athlete looking to shorten your recovery time?  Or maybe, you want to slow the aging process and prevent injuries?  Then, this weekly class is for you!  It’s time to nurture yourself like never before.

Put the techniques you learn into practice during this group coaching session. This is a safe place where everyone is working on their own self-healing journey.

Most students find it powerful to learn that others are having similar struggles and hear the creative ways they are showing up for themselves amongst the chaos of their lives.

I can’t wait to connect and grow with you!

Click here to learn more and sign up!

Stay supple, drink your water, and heal your fascia!

Nicole