Researchers do not agree on one comprehensive "fascia" definition. Despite the scientific uncertainty, there is an agreement with medical text that the fascia covers every structure of the body, creating a structural continuity that gives form and function to every tissue and organ. The fascial tissue has a ubiquitous distribution in the body system; it is able to wrap, interpenetrate, support, and form the bloodstream, bone tissue, meningeal tissue, organs, and skeletal muscles. The fascia creates different interdependent layers with several depths, from the skin to the periosteum, forming a three-dimensional mechano-metabolic structure.
Musculoskeletal pain & dysfunctions happen to be the most common reason for referral to physiotherapy and manual therapy services. It is also the most frequent cause of long-term chronic pain affecting countless individuals around the world (Woolf and Pfleger, 2003). Without appropriate management, chronic pain may impact several aspects of an individual's health, including physical, psychological, and social well-being, while also creating a tremendous economic and workplace burden. Manual therapists, use several different schools of thought in dealing with their patients.
Research from the past decade has been able to point towards the part played by fascia in numerous musculoskeletal dysfunctions as the skeletal muscles throughout the body are indirectly linked to each other by fascial tissue forming a network with some specific patterns (Luomala and Pihlman, 2016; Myers, 2009; Wilke et al., 2016a). These conceptual patterns were later named ‘myofascial meridians’ by Myers (2009), as a means to better understand the mapping of the fascial system.
Fascia can be simply defined as a network of fibrous tissue pervading the entire body, which surrounds, supports, suspends, protects, connects and divides muscular, skeletal and visceral components of an organism (Kumka& Bonar, 2012). Apart from lubricating the fibers it also gives nourishment to the whole body (Still, 1910). It is said to manage the balance between tension and compression around the organs, joints and muscles, and hence considered as a “tensegrity” or tensional integrity structure (Chen et al., 2016). Depending on its location fascia in general displays marked differences concerning thickness, amount of elastic fibers and adherence and expansions to the surrounding soft tissues including muscles (Stecco et al., 2009). Additionally, the amount of associating fibers is not constant and shows extensive dissimilarity for different transitions (Snow et al., 1995; Stecco et al., 2013). This holds specific essentialness as the structures connecting the muscular parts of the meridians envelop tendinous, aponeurotic and ligamentous tissue as well as the deep fascia.
The ultimate result of the altered myofascial tissue is restricted fascia, resulting in altered lines of force with muscle contraction (Stecco et al., 2013; Meltzer et al., 2010). Muscles of the body don't operate as independent units; instead, they are considered as a part of tensegrity-like myofascial network that spans throughout the body, with fascia being the linking component (Wilke et al., 2016b). Recent increase in research carried out in this field has made treatment targeting the fascia to be increasingly popular in the management of musculoskeletal disorders (Ajimsha, 2018). Because of the intimate relationship of the fascia, not only within the locomotor system, but also with the visceral, glandular and vascular systems, it can be found to play a role in the manifestation and treatment of pain in women conditions
HEAL Physiotherapy Approach
We will first do a fascial assessment to determine the direction of the adhesion, and then will use a variety of connective tissue techniques including Fascial Manipulation (Stecco method), Myofascial Release (MFR), Active Release Therapy (ART), Fascial Distortion Model (FDM), Fascial Fitness, various stretches etc. These techniques have been shown to decrease muscle tension or neuromuscular tone, reduce pain and hypertonicity, increase local circulation, improve immune system and nervous system function, increase joint range of motion, enhance muscle performance, and increase muscle extensibility.
A focused training of this fascial network could be of great importance for athletes, dancers and other movement advocates. If one’s fascial body is well trained, that is to say optimally elastic and resilient, then it may be relied on to perform effectively and at the same time to offer a high degree of injury prevention (Kjaer et al., 2009).
We HEAL Physiotherapy Clinic, will be providing a holistic approach to each conditions and support you to get back to what you love to do. Contact us: info@healphysiotherapy.in , www.healphysiotherapy.in
Reference
1) Anatomy, Fascia,Bruno Bordoni 1, Navid Mahabadi 2, Matthew Varacallo In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan.2021 Jul 22. Affiliations+ expand PMID: 29630284 Bookshelf ID: NBK493232
2) The fascia: the forgotten structure Carla Stecco 1, Veronica Macchi, Andrea Porzionato, Fabrice Duparc, Raffaele De Caro Affiliations+ expand PMID: 22852442
3) Fascia Science and Clinical ApplicationsRole of fascial connectivity in musculoskeletal dysfunctions: Anarrative reviewM.S. Ajimsha*, Pramod D. Shenoy, Neeraj GampawarDepartment of Physiotherapy, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar Published by Elsevier Ltd. Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies 24 (2020) 423e431
4) FASCIA SCIENCE AND CLINICAL APPLICATIONS: PRACTICAL TRAINING EXERCISES Training principles for fascial connective tissues: Scientific foundation and suggested practical applications: Robert Schleip, PhD, MA a,*, Divo Gitta Mu¨ller, HP b a Fascia Research Group, Division of Neurophysiology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany b Somatics Academy GbR, Munich, Germany Received 11 April 2012; Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies (2013) 17, 103e115
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