October 16, 2024
At Fortified Performance, we address the fascial system in our treatments, classes, and training. While most of the medical and fitness world talks mostly about muscle, it hasn't been until the past decade that the world has learned about fascia.
Fascia creates a structural continuity that supports form and function for every tissue and organ in the body. Dr. Guy Voyer, MD, DO from Marcilles, France described fascia as connective tissue that "envelopes" all structures of the body. Two major types of fascia exist, one below the surface of the skin (superficial fascia) and the other that covers muscles and organs, separates muscles in different layers, and surrounds nerves and blood vessels (deep fascia).
Fascia has many functions in the body. It surrounds muscle, preventing them from tearing or breaking easily. Due to its elastic properties, it can improve the sliding of muscles, nerves, and other vessels in the body. It can limit groups of muscles in a particular area, thus, when fascia is thickened or shortened due to tensile or compressive forces, it can restrict movement. Fascia has 6-8x more propioceptive sensory nerve endings than muscle issue, meaning it responds to pressure and touch and has a direct relationship with the nervous system. As a sensory organ, fascia is crucial to address when dealing with pain, stiffness, or movement. Through proper training (strengthening, myofascial stretching, etc.) and manual treatment as needed,
