Understanding Fascia: Why Some Areas Feel Stuck
Fascia is the tissue that connects every cell in the body. Whether muscle, skin, organ, tendon, ligament, bone - if it is in the body, fascia is part of the equation.
Like skin to the body, fascia is the skin to the cell. The main components of fascia are proteins called collagen and elastin. When balanced, cells are supported in their correct alignment and have optimal space.
The Delicate Balance of Movement and Stability
Space within and around the cells allows for ease of absorption of nutrients into the cell, as well as ease of removal of waste away from the cell.
This balance of proteins in the fascia allows the body to have ease of movement, along with stability. Without the elastin, the body would be a frozen mass; without the collagen, the body would be a puddle.
It is the combination of the two which gives us the ability to live a life full of mobility and freedom.
Balance of these proteins can be seen in healthy babies. Their joints move in full ranges of motion, their skin is soft and supple, and there are no signs of aging.
It is simple to move a baby's leg up and over their head with ease; there is nothing blocking the flow. However, as you begin to age, changes take place. Range of motion eventually becomes limited, skin starts to sag and wrinkle, and other signs of aging begin to surface.
The Impact of Time, Gravity, and Posture
So, what is it that changes with time? It is the compression that results from gravity and unconscious posture and breath.
As you become mobile and start using your body, you favor a side; you are either right or left-handed. This asymmetrical patterning, along with the downward pull from gravity, starts a winding down of your body over time.
As you unconsciously keep the dominant side free for action, the body shifts its center of gravity to the opposite side to accommodate this imbalance. What is shifting is the collagen.
So that we don't tip over, there is a migration of this protein - the building blocks - to create false walls and false floors. They move to places of weakness so that you stay upright.
The Invisible Progression of Fascial Changes
This migration happens unconsciously. Because the forces acting on the body are continual, we don't typically recognize the migration until there is a physical limitation that presents.
It may be that suddenly a movement you used to do is no longer accessible.
Energy also moves in waves and spirals, so the collagen doesn't stack onto itself in a linear fashion, but does so in a spiral and chaotic pattern.
From Flexibility to Restriction: The Joint Example
Think of your hip joints. They are a ball and socket joint and if correctly aligned, have extensive range of motion. You can see the potential in gymnasts where they can move into the splits with ease and can create amazing postures with their flexibility.
Comparing that to someone who is extremely rigid with little range of motion shows the difference in your potential.
What has happened to the person with limited range is that the collagen migrated to the space within the joint, as well as the spaces around the cells, and accumulated mass in the area to build support, just like using concrete bricks.
It is strong, however it lacks mobility. It also isn't only in any one specific area that this happens. As fascia connects every cell, the entire body shifts to accommodate this imbalance, causing collagen to migrate from head to toe.
The Cooling Effect: When Tissue Flow Slows Down
The accumulation of density in an area is like water turning from being a liquid to that of ice. Just like a river freezing, it takes time to turn from one medium to another, but the transition can be seen in the change in flow.
This too is what happens over time to the aging body, there is an overall cooling of tissue. Blood, lymph, and energy flow slows, resulting in areas where nutrient flow and circulation may become restricted over time.
Scar Tissue: Nature's Quick Fix
Scar tissue, on the other hand, created from an injury in the moment where a force enters the body and something tears or breaks, or from a surgery where there is an intentional cut through the layer of fascia, is also an accumulation of collagen, but differs from adhesions in how it forms.
The second law of thermodynamics states that nature abhors a gradient, which means when there is a gap in the system, nature will fill it in. The collagen in the surrounding tissue will get dumped into the gap, like filling in a pothole.
As much as this seals the deal, scar tissue acts like a beaver dam, altering the path of the flow of energy and fluids.
The Aging Process: A Result of Fascial Imbalance
Both the formation of adhesions and scar tissue affect the health of the fascia and will direct the way the body ages. They create density in areas that gravity has its way with.
Rather than having a body with balance that can move through time with minimal compression, those with more scar tissue and adhesions are strongly manipulated by gravity and may experience the effects of aging more noticeably over time.
The Path to Renewal: Fascia Decompression
The good news is that wherever you're starting from, fascia decompression offers a way to work with your body in the other direction, supporting healthy fascial flow and encouraging the body's natural sense of balance and ease.
The process is simple, yet profound, and accessible to most everyone who wants to take an active role in their own self-care.
Interested in learning more?
Listen to our episode of The Fascia Masters podcast for in-depth techniques and guidance.
Or, try our sampler program for $9 to start your Fascia Decompression journey.
Breathe & Believe,
Deanna
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