Understanding Fascia

Fascia is a thin, membranous, highly innervated connective tissue, primarily made up of collagen. It allows for fluidity of movement. It is the most sensitive, highly interconnected system in the body, and provides structural support, organizing & suspending muscles, organs, and bones.

Fascia can be found wrapped throughout the body, connecting one point on the body to another in one uninterrupted sheet. Fascia forms lines of pull, connecting toes to brow, fingers to chest and neck, heart to collarbone to arm and fingers. It also coils around arteries, veins, and nerves applying tension and compression to the surrounding tissue. This is what you are feeling when you have physical pain. Joint pain can occur if tendons are tight and dehydrated, making them less functional in absorbing impact.

So why should we care about fascia? The structure of fascia is important as it impacts the body’s form & function from breathing to exercising & posture. Fascia is sensitive to movement thereby impacting muscle potential, joint health, organ health, and an active lifestyle. This translates into total soft tissue body health for pain-free living.

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Bordoni, B., Zanier, E. (2014). Clinical and symptomatological reflections: the fascial system. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 7, 401-411. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S68308