What is Fascia?
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Myofascial tissue refers to the interconnected network of muscle and fascia in the human body. It plays a crucial role in providing structural support, transmitting forces, and allowing movement. Muscles are composed of muscle fibers that contract and generate force to create movement. Surrounding and penetrating these muscle fibers is a specialized connective tissue called fascia. Fascia is a thin, tough, and elastic tissue that forms a continuous web-like structure throughout the body. Fascia also extends throughout the body forming a three-dimensional network that connects different parts of the body, creating a continuous tensional system.
Fascia tissue is dynamic and responsive. It can adapt to changes in posture, movement patterns, emotional states, and mental and physical demands. Through its impressive responsiveness, it can develop restrictions in the body due to factors such as injury, trauma, poor posture, or repetitive abuse. These restrictions can cause pain, decreased range of motion, and functional limitations. This is where stretching comes in to permanently remove scar tissue and dense fascia to affect the health of not only the superficial tissue, but also the deepest fascia to improve health of internal organs.
Imagine for a moment—cables on a bridge and how suspended the structure of the bridge can be. Now, imagine the force in the cables to keep the bridge held upright! This is similar to the force in fascia in your body. Outside forces and help to identify the tissue are necessary to remove this density.
Resistance Flexibility
To target the fascia and achieve maximum stretch, the muscle needs to be in its shortest, most contracted state (such as at the end of a bicep curl). From there, the muscle contracts continuously while applying tension and resisting movement, allowing the muscle tissue to lengthen. The extent of the muscle's lengthening is determined by how much the antagonist muscle group can shorten to support the movement—a delicate balancing act between the two.
Fascia acts as the internal governor of safety, to protect us from potential injuries dense fascia accumulates when an area of the body has been traumatized. The removal of this fascia can lead to a complete reshaping of posture, immediate performance enhancements, and significant improvements in physiological & psychological health.
Contrary to preconceived notions, stretching involves four distinct elements: positioning, sensation, tension, and resistance. Learning how to combine these elements in the right proportions is essential, and that's where guidance and instruction come into play. Stretching should never be painful. Sensations or discomfort may arise as new areas of the body are being stretched, learning which experiences are entirely normal is part of the process.
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Phone: (805) 329-1447
Email: trainers@youthstretch.com