Fascia is a connective tissue, which provides support for organs, blood vessels, and nerves. It transmits the contraction of muscle fibers to the bones they move.
Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSIs) such as Plantar Fasciitis (heel pain), Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (pain due to overuse of computer keyboard or mouse), and even Text Neck (Neck Pain due to looking down at mobile screen) are becoming common.
Conventional wisdom is that RSIs are problems of bones, muscles, and nerves. However, increasingly, the culprit seems to be a body part that science hardly noticed till a decade ago: Fascia.
Fascia forms the container for all the structures under your skin. Its interconnected nature means that through the fascia, everything in the body is connected to everything else.
Here is an interesting article about Your Key To Repetitive Strain Injury Recovery. It talks about how fascia is involved in many repetitive stress injuries. Watch the fascinating video at the end about how adhesions are formed in fascia and how they can be released. Also, check the links at the end of the same page about how to handle different repetitive stress injuries. All of that without the surgical release of nerves!
My Views
- Many repetitive strain injuries are linked to myofascial pain syndrome, which is caused by tightness and heightened sensitivity in fascial tissues. Most of the muscles in the body are covered in fascial tissues. Due to relative motions of the muscles and the fascia, the pain develops from specific locations within such myofascial tissues. Such points are called trigger points.
- Myofascial release technique involves putting pressure on the trigger points and causing them to release the tension and tightness.
- The longer the duration of pain and tightness, the stiffer is the fascial tissue and tougher is the release of the trigger points. However, if the underlying issue is myofascial, the pain release is very effective and often, immediate.
- Science is still learning if MFR techniques are predictable and sustainable long-term. However, since they give good results without any side effects, one may want to try them with the help of an MFR expert.
- I have personally noticed benefits for my back and neck pain with MFR.
- If you has any nerve-related problem, first check whether you can use any myofascial release technique, before trying any injection or surgery.
To Read More
- Johns Hopkins Medicine: Muscle Pain: It May Actually Be Your Fascia
- Physiopedia: Fascia
- Health and Fitness Education, UK: Understanding Myofascial Release
- Various research papers on Myofascial Release: Myofascial Release
First published on: 10th December 2015
Image credit: Karolina Grabowska on Pexels
Latest update on: 11th December 2021