What is Fascia?

Fascia is a thin, slimy covering that surrounds every muscle, tendon, ligament and organ in the body.  The fascia provides a friction-free surface for internal structures to move without abrasion or damage.

 

What role does fascia play in your injury?

Your body is constantly suffering from and repairing traumas.  Some are obvious injuries like sprained ankles and car accidents.  More often the injuries are smaller in scale and often we aren’t aware of them.  These micro-traumas include everything from planting the foot incorrectly on a run to the repetitive stress of sitting for hours at a desk. Your body will repair these traumas by placing a “scaffolding” of fibers (aka adhesions) between the layers of fascia to allow the tissues to rebuild.  The problem comes when the fibers/adhesion build up and act like a Velcro or paste that prevents the fluid motion of the tissues.

  • Altered and improper motion eventually will lead to pain.

 

How do you fix these injuries?

  • By using our hands (thumbs more specifically), we will apply deep pressure to the specific areas of fascial distortion.  The pressure is intense but focused so we can resolve the issue quickly.

 

Are there any side effects to the fascial treatments?

  • Because the pressure is deep and the treatment so focused, it is very common to have bruising and swelling after treatment.  As a patient, you can expect to be sore for 3 days after treatment (which is why we don’t do the treatments on successive days).

 

What can you as the patient do to help speed up the recovery process?

  • Ice is the best remedy for reducing the inflammation and soreness from the treatment (see icing instructions given).
  • Check with your primary care doctor to see if an OTC NSAID like Ibuprofen or naproxen is appropriate for you.
  • It is also crucial that you get out and move.  Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, get out and use the tissues.  Once they have been restored to proper function, they need to be used to maintain proper function.  The more you move, the better you can tell us how you are doing and the better we can focus the treatment.
  • Once treatment is complete, your doctor will discuss options for keeping you out of pain.  Proper ergonomics, strength and endurance are critical to keeping you pain free.

 

Other fun facts about your treatment…..

  • It’s not unusual to feel the pain “move around”. You might feel the pain move higher, lower, or more lateral, for instance.  As we restore the fascia in one region, the other untreated areas become more noticeable.  This is normal and once we have a chance to address all the tissues of an injury, you should not feel any pain.
  • About 15-20% of patients will feel small nodes of swelling (they often feel like a little pea or ball bearing) in a treated region about 5-10 days after treatment.  This is a common response to treatment and may take 4-6 weeks to resolve.  Let us know if you have any questions.

 

If you have any questions, please ask or call us at 610-489-8800.

Download a printable version here…

The Role of Fascia