What Does that Mean??? Fascia

This is the first of a multi-post series explaining some common massage terms, issues and situations.

A simple explanation of fascia is that it's the connective tissue that covers or binds parts of the body structure.  You'll find fascia around your muscles, bones, organs, veins, arteries, lymphatic system, etc.  

Fascia acts as an organizer... The collagen and elastin fibers create a translucent, strong sheet of connective tissue.  While very thin, fascia is very strong.  Almost every structure of the body is surrounded by fascia.  Fascia is what surrounds nerve fibers.  Fascia is what holds our fat in place.  Fascia is what holds our muscles in place.  Fascia is in our veins and arteries.

Muscles connect to tendons which connect to a fascia layer (periosteum) on bones.  Ligaments work in a similar way, but are connecting bones to bones.

So to summarize, your fascia helps your muscles connect to your bones, is in your muscles, arteries, veins, fat, and organs...  It's everywhere man!!!

When it's found between the skin and the underlying muscles, it is called the superficial fascia layer.  Go a little deeper and you'll find deep fascia... which protects the muscles and divides them into separate muscles.  Go deeper still you will find subserous fascia.  This fascia is found between the deep fascia and the major organs.  These different types of fascia also are different in terms of flexibility or firmness, as would be required by their function.  The flexibility or firmness is created by different concentrations of the building blocks that make up connective tissue; collagen, elastin and ground substance.  

What is collagen???  Collagen is a protein that is made up of three polypeptide chains.  When they line up they form white fibrils.  They have great tensile strength.  They are very resilient and have excellent structural integrity.  

Okay, then what is elastin???  Elastin is elastic in nature as the name suggests.  It helps tissue to stretch and absorb shock.

And then we have ground substance.  To me ground substance is absolutely fascinating.  It's a viscous fluid that alternates between states of "gel" and "liquid".  (Trivia: This ability to alter between states is called thixotrophy) When it's cool it's like a jelly, but when it's warm it becomes more liquidy... kinda like jello!  Ground substance is made of up two main components... hyaluronic acid and proteoglycans.  The hyaluronic acid is viscous and helps to lubricate the collagen, elastin and whatever else it is gliding up against (muscles, organs etc.).  The proteoglycans are responsible for the gel aspect.  This gel aspect is awesome at dispersing shock, and at holding tissues in place.  

As your fascia ages or you injure it, the ground substance becomes less liquid.  This harder gel like state makes fascia glide more difficult.  Heat (from heating packs, muscle use, massage) and mechanical stretch help to bring back that liquid state.

The liquid state is so important as that is what allows movement, stretch and also the exchange of nutrients and cellular waste (toxins) to occur more easily.  Dry and/or hard ground substance restricts movement.

I hope this gives you a high level explanation of what your fascia is and what it does!  Feel free to email me with questions or areas that might be vague (info@breathemassage.com).

Now that you have a basic explanation of fascia, stay tuned for information on cross-linkages and adhesions next!