Fascia is the tissue most commonly known as connective tissue. Our bodies as well as our horses are entirely encased in it – it is literally everywhere and it’s what holds us together, keeps everything in place and what allows us to move without falling apart. Through this understanding we can understand that everything in the body is connected to everything. Not quite the same as we are usually taught to think about the body – as if it is made up of entirely separate pieces. Without fascia the body wouldn’t be able to keep our organs in place or our muscles – everything would clatter to the floor, unable to function. There is no muscle in a body that moves 100% in isolation.

Fascia throughout the body connects in such a way as to create various trains. This means that when there is a problem somewhere along the train it can manifest as an issue in a completely different, seemingly unrelated area.

When the body has to deal with injury, areas that have higher strain on them or tension, fascia in that area will respond by thickening and stiffening as a protective mechanism. Unfortunately this results in imbalance and dysfunction in that area. But since everything is connected it can have untold knock on effects in the form of compensation in other areas of the body from that problem area.

What compounds on this is that the body responds to psychological and emotional trauma as well as physical trauma. An emotionally and mentally traumatic event can trigger the same kind of physical response in the body as a physical injury. Fascia responds to a sympathetic nervous system activation (fight or flight) by tightening up. Certain things such as the psoas muscle will tighten and stay that way, once again creating compensatory movement patterns and potentially pain as well.

Fascia that is functioning poorly due to restrictions created by the above mentioned things, can have numerous effects on your body (or your horse’s body).

For more information on specific effects on humans, please see Fascia and Trauma Release

For more information on specific effects on horses, please see Equine Fascia and Trauma Release

 

Myofascia and Fascia – what’s the difference?

Myofascia is fascia. But it is only fascia which is directly encasing muscle. Muscle does not and cannot exist without its myofascial casing. However fascia does exist in the body without being part of muscle, such as visceral fascia that encases our organs.

 

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