Frequently Asked Questions

Fascia is a continuous three-dimensional network of connective tissue that pervades virtually the entire body and is organized in a hierarchical system of compartments, or ‘bags within bags’ (organs, bones, muscles etc), that extend down to the cellular level (extra-cellular matrix). It consists primarily of collagen and elastin fibres contained within a mucous-like ground substance of hydrated proteoglycans. The fibres are largely produced by fibroblast cells, with fascial structure assuming many different forms according to its location and response to the forces imposed on it, i.e. it is highly adaptive. You can easily see it on the outside of a chicken breast as a translucent sheath surrounding the muscle.

Because fascia is at the heart of physical movement. The fascial continuity within the body means that if one part moves, the rest of the body responds and adapts to that movement.  Similarly, if there is an injury such as a sprained ankle or surgery (e.g. appendectomy), any physical restrictions created in that part can affect the myofascial dynamics of the body some distance away.  Fascial restrictions normally require different methods to ‘free them up’, so fascial work is now seen as an important part of a therapist’s toolbox, while an understanding of the effect of fascial restriction on movement is essential for the teacher.

One interesting point is that forces from outside, or from a particular part of the body, are transmitted down through the fascial continuity to the cellular level, where they influence cell function (this process is known as mechanotransduction). A light, therapeutic touch is increasingly recognized as the most effective way of affecting cell behaviour. 

Something else good to know is that fibroblasts typically produce collagen along lines of tensional force, so that if a woman is carrying a handbag on her shoulder day after day, for example, the fascia will reinforce that myofascial tension pattern and eventually cause the area to become denser and elevated. This can then have a cascading effect through the tissues, creating patterns of compensation and limiting body-wide functionality.

Much research has taken place and is ongoing around somatic memory (the holding of emotions within the body).  Discussion continues around the topic, but you could explore books by Bessel van der Kolk, Bruce Lipton, Babette Rothschild, Peter Levine and James Oschmann.

The biotensegrity concept was introduced by the orthopaedic surgeon Stephen M. Levin, and recognizes that complex living structures are the consequence of some basic principles of self-organization and that these pervade the entire body at every level. It is founded on the continually changing balance between tension and compression (pull together and keep apart), where “there are no shears, bending moments or levers” and the body (including the fascia) is “a self-organizing, hierarchical, load distributing, low energy consuming structure” http://biotensegrity.com/).