Your Body's Wisdom

Issues In The Tissues

I have had many clients walk into my office and tell me that they are in a lot of pain and the doctors can’t seem to find out what is wrong with them.  They are told that maybe it is fibromyalgia, chronic pain, chronic fatigue or simply that it is all in their head.  There may be an answer to why they feel aches and pains throughout their entire body.  It is something called connective tissue or fascia.

Image taken from http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC063547/images/MuscularSystem3.jpg

Connective tissue or fascia[i]—what is it? In a healthy state, connective tissue is a fluid like substance that is in every aspect of your body—muscles, bones and cells.  Look at the picture above of Mr. Muscle Man.  Do you see the ‘white’ areas?  These are large areas of connective tissue.  What the picture fails to show is that not only do you have large areas of connective tissue as seen above, but connective tissue is also in every muscle, every bone, every organ, and every cell.  It helps separate your organs and keep them in place.  If you didn’t have this connective tissue or fascia, then when you stood up all of your organs would fall into your legs.

Under a microscope, fascia resembles a spider web.  It is like the ultimate body suit covering you from the top of your head to the tips of your toes, there is no beginning and there is no end.  The entire body is connected to every other part of the body.  It is interwoven like threads in fabric—a continuous weave of material.  Like a pull in a sweater, damage to one area of fascia can affect other distant areas in your body even years later.

How does fascia affect you? In a normal healthy state, your fascia is relaxed, soft and flexible.  It has the ability to stretch and move without restriction.  So as you move and stretch, so does your fascia.  However, over time your fascia becomes restricted.  How does this happen?  Well, there are many types of trauma that can happen to you.  There is physical trauma which could be a fall, surgery, car accident or abuse (any type of abuse—physical, mental, sexual or emotional).  Emotional trauma[ii] can be just as harrowing and painful as its physical counterpart which could be associated with abuse, changing jobs, divorce or a death in the family.  (Please note that these traumas, whether physical or emotional, are NOT all inclusive).  Along with these traumas, there is also inflammation or even habitual poor posture that can have a cumulative effect over time.  Your fascia becomes tight, restricted, less flexible and less pliable and can become a source of tension throughout the rest of your body.

A good example for this would be a rubber band.  When the rubber band is new it is flexible, pliable and can move any way that you want it to move.  Now take that same rubber band and put a couple of knots (trauma) in it.  It still has the ability to move, but the movement is far less flexible than it was previously.  As time goes on, then the rubber band gets even less flexible and pliable and actually can become brittle and weak, therefore, making any type of movement very restrictive.

So when you have these fascial restrictions, it places an exorbitant amount of pressure on everything in your body—muscles, joints, bones, etc.  This pressure can cause pain and restriction of normal motion.

How Massage & Bodywork Can Help—I just recently attended a conference on Myofascial Release which was put on by John F. Barnes, PT.  He is the founder of Myofascial Release (MFR).  MFR is a whole body approach and follows what the body is in need of.  MFR works with the connective tissue/fascia of the body.  Myofascial Release is different that a normal massage since it works with the fascia and not just the muscle.  MFR uses gentle, sustained pressure in the area of restriction and is held anywhere from 2-5 minutes.  By using this sustained pressure, it allows permanent elongation of the tissue.  As these layers are released, pain is decreased and you gain greater flexibility and ease of movement.  For more information regarding MFR, please visit www.myofascialrelease.com .

Since MFR is a very subtle technique, I combine it with massage.  I know you have heard me say that when you make changes to one part of your body you are making changes to all of your body.  By incorporating MFR and massage, then I am helping your body relax and accept the changes that are being made.

What does MFR feel like? As the restriction is released, it can feel like taffy lengthening or butter melting.  There could be a burning or ripping sensation (think ‘Indian burn’ from your childhood), a pulsing, tingling or release of heat.  You may feel these things right away or it may take longer.  You may also feel these sensations in other parts of your body besides where I am working—remember that fascia is everywhere in your body and connects one aspect of your body to every other aspect.

There may be times when I am doing MFR that you, the client, may feel emotions like crying, sadness, anger, etc.  This happens because memories (traumas) that are associated with the restriction are triggered.  If this should happen, please stay present with what you are feeling and breathe into the sensations and emotions[iii].  Healing can occur more readily if you allow yourself to feel your emotions.  Remember that the massage room is a safe and sacred space.  I respect your privacy and confidentiality, and as such, anything and everything that happens within those walls remains confidential and private.

Is MFR right for you? If you have been a regular client of mine chances are that I have done some sort of MFR on you.  Again, it isn’t something that I would spend the whole session doing, it is incorporated with regular massage.  If you don’t remember me doing this particular technique and would like to try it, please let me know and we can incorporate it into your next regular massage.  I also have some books that could be helpful in answering any questions that you may have.