What A Tangled Web We Weave
I have people all the time asking me to skip working their arms and legs because they want me to focus on where their pain may be. Yes, it makes perfect sense that I would want to focus more on the problem areas than on other areas that may not have any issues. But, if I do skip over these other areas I may be skipping over vital areas of constriction or even trigger points.
Throughout our entire body, we have what is called connective tissue or fascia.
Under a microscope, fascia resembles a spider web (that darn tangled web). It is like the ultimate bodysuit 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 effect other distant areas in your body, even years later.
Connective tissue or fascia—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. Not only do we have large areas of connective tissue but it is 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.
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 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.
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.
So while it may make sense to you to skip over areas that you don’t have any pain or issues with, we may also be skipping over areas that may be the very cause of the pain you are experiencing. Yes, I will continue to thoroughly work not only on the area you may be having problems with, but I will also be focusing on other areas that could also be the problem. It is, indeed, a very tangled web that is woven inside your body and you may not have even known it.