Aches and Pains
Most people experience aches and pain at some point in their lives, but they’re generally not signs of any underlying condition.
Have you been moving from treatment to treatment, because of some recurring injury, pain or restriction that just doesn’t seem to get better, or wanders from one part of the body to another? Perhaps the missing link is FASCIA!
Fascia is a tough connective tissue that spreads throughout the body from head to foot without interruption. It wraps around and becomes an integral part of every anatomical structure including muscles, bones, joints, and organs all the way down to the cellular level. Fascia gives the body form. If every structure of the body, except the fascia, were removed, the body would retain its shape.
Fascial Imbalance and When Fascia is Injured
During our life-times, our bodies accumulate emotional, mental, physical, electromagnetic and biochemical stresses that all influence muscular tension. This tension created in the muscles is then transferred to the fascial system , influencing the rest of the body, as all muscles are connected in some way.
Therefore any fascial imbalance in the system could result in tightness and can spread three dimensionally throughout the body – imagine bunching up a part of your sweater, you feel the pull in many directions According to Psychologist Wilhelm Reich, any repressed or negative emotions are stored in the muscles, creating tension in the body.
Myo-fascial tension can create barriers to the movement of circulation(lymph, artery, vein), nerve conduction and energy flow. Entrapment of these vital structures can lead to pain, swelling and slow healing. In time, this myo-fascial tension will slowly alter posture, range of motion and function and carries over tension to joints and bony structures.
Clinical Significance
Too often therapists jump directly to the site of complaint or pain in the Cartesian method of treating, however neglecting the ever so important detail that our bodies function as a dynamic UNIT!
The quote by Roland Becker (D.O.) significantly describes this phenomenon: “You cannot just treat ‘backs’, you must also treat ‘fronts’. Our bodies are 3-Dimensional”. Imagine the spine as a bow. The string of the bow is represented by the front fascia of the body. If the string is tight the spine cannot straighten. Imagine how much energy and effort the back must bring up to constantly resist the force or pulling of a tight string! No wonder the back is getting tight and sore or even giving in (poor posture).
The site of pain however might not be the cause of the dysfunction. Since our whole body is interconnected with fascia, one or more fascial restrictions can produce a pattern of imbalance that extends throughout the entire body.
With the help of Body Talk we can find and locate the key areas to address to help unlock and release tension, stored emotions beliefs and consciousness in the fascial tissues , because we are lead by the body to the primary source of tension! Once we balance the primary site, the body can unravel the cascade of tension and alleviate disease and dysfunction.