The fascial system and its relation to wellbeing

Photo Cred: Tima Miroshnickenko/Pexels

By Brittany Vargas

Whether we’re hit by an unexpected life event or an injury, the fascia — a large category of connective tissues holding together the body — responds to shock, pain, and stress in surprisingly sensitive ways, according to Allison Denney, BCMT, a licensed massage therapist in Long Beach, Calif.

Once thought to be inert, fascia is an important player in the mind and body and rivals the brain in terms of complexity, she said.

“Fascia has a stake in the game physiologically, but maybe not quite how you might think,” she said. “The fascia, being like a brain, seems to respond to pain in odd ways. It solidifies, it proliferates, it weakens. Creating more sensitivity after a jolt to the system is likely a role that fascia plays and a sensation someone might notice.”

A 2015 paper in Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies defines the fascia as “a sheath, a sheet, or any number of other dissectible aggregations of connective tissue that forms beneath the skin to attach, enclose, separate muscles and other internal organs.”

This is to be differentiated from the more all-encompassing fascial system, which is a “network of interacting, interrelated, interdependent tissues forming a complex whole, all collaborating to perform a movement.”

However, fascia is defined differently by sports movement specialists, pathologists, surgeons, manual therapists, and other health professionals, said Rachelle Clauson, BS, CMT, BCMTMB, a leading fascia expert who co-founded The Fascia Research Society and board-certified massage therapist in San Diego, Calif. Despite these differences of opinion, organizations like Fascia Research Project are driving research to further explore the fascial system.

New perspectives on fascia

Developing research has found fascial tissue is highly sensitivity to pain, said Clauson.

“Fascia is the queen of connection, but current research suggests it is oh-so-much-more

than even that,” she said. “We now know that fascia is full of nerve endings, so much so that it can be considered our largest sensory organ.”

She said that fascia research has big implications for pain management and healthcare. Our medical system is burdened with people who have chronic pain, yet we’ve been missing a big piece of the puzzle when it comes to treating it.

In a 2019 study in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers found that many so-called “muscle strain injuries” are actually injuries or lesions within the fascia. They suggested that fascial tissue “exhibits a higher pain sensitivity than muscle.”

Additionally, fascial tissue may respond to emotional stimuli as well, Clauson said, referring to a 2021 study in Cognitive Therapy and Research. In the study, researchers wanted to identify a link between emotional states and soft tissue. They compared patients diagnosed with depressive disorder with a control group, first noting that those with depression had stiffer soft tissue.

They then compared depressed participants who performed self-myofascial therapy with a group of depressed participants who performed a different set of exercises. Afterward, they were presented with a list of both positive and negative words in random order, then asked to recall them. The first group remembered more positive than negative words, suggesting that myofascial therapy skewed their mental bias and emotional state towards the positive.

Some researchers also suggest that the fascia can hold memories, according to a 2014 article in Journal of Bodywork and Manual Therapies, which states that “memories in the body may be also encoded into the structure of fascia itself.”

Treating fascia

Bodywork, such as massage therapy incorporating myofascial release, osteopathic care, and chiropractic care, plus acupuncture, cupping, and yoga, all have the potential to bring the fascia back into balance and enhanced functionality, according to a 2011 paper in International Journal Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.

But unlike the muscles, which can recover relatively quickly, fascial tissue takes time to heal, Clauson said, though the effects are worth it.

“I find the results of a more fascial-focused approach helps my clients better perceive

how their bodies are designed to move,” she said.“They are better able to find space and volume within their bodies, which gives them a sense of freedom and lightness that continues after the session.”

According to Denney, there is much more to be uncovered about the fascia, which means having a sense of reverence and curiosity is key to effective treatment.

“There is still so much to learn about this complicated system,” said Denney. “Treat it with respect, and you will begin to understand the way it thinks.”