Facia, fascia, fascia everywhere and why you should care! Its quite a buzz word these days as it should be. But, when Dr. Ida Rolf was trumpeting its value in human health way back in the 1950’s and 60’s it was falling mostly on deaf ears! This system of surrounding connective tissue of strands and layers, forms a complex whole-body network. For a long time, the fascia was believed to be no more than just a silky covering on the muscles. Fortunately, in recent years, science has brought it more to the foreground and brought to our attention how important fascia is to health and performance.
Fascia is now classified as its own organ. Pull out all the other tissue and you will still have the form of the subject… sort of that is. In other words, the fascia forms a suspended network that pervades the entire body. That’s what the name implies: fascia means “bind” or “band” and “binding together” is exactly what this important organ does. The connective tissue varies in strength: it can range from very, very thin to a thick layer; as for example, in a horse’s superficial and deep flexor tendon (where it is as thick as a finger). Or at the lumbar area of a human. Believe me I know after 35 years working with mostly human and horse fascia. There is fascia throughout the entire body, from head to hind to hoof, which penetrates and encloses the bones, muscles, muscular connectors, organs, blood vessels, and nerve pathways. Muscles and fascia form one interconnected communicating network. Fascial tissue is comprised from 60 to 70 percent water. This fluid works like as a lubricant between the layers of fascia, so that the muscles can glide over one another without rubbing. Quadriceps and hamstrings often get stuck together and can’t do their “jobs” as well if there were no adhesions between them. The fascia connects multiple joints and muscles together at the same time: straight, crossing, diagonal, and spiral in form. So, too, organs are surrounded by fascia, which keeps them in the correct position within the abdominal cavity.Fascia is extremely strong and impacts the horse’s stability and mobility. It also possesses receptors and sensors, making it one of the most important organs in the body for communication. More on the importance of that fact that in a later post.
I have also observed for 35 years how this complex organ is also plagued by dysfunction. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have had a job! Among other things, when fascia gets “stuck” this impacts its structure and function often detrimentally to the horses well-being. An adhesion can come about through injury, overuse, underuse (think standing in stalls for hours a day), mental stress or too much pressure on the tissue. Imagine how a poor fitting saddle and an imbalanced rider impacts the tissues below them. When the fascia is “stuck” as we called it at the Rolf Institute, the fluid between the layers of tissue dissipates leaving the fascia dry, tough and inflexible. In a horse with chronic back pain, there’s always a change of the large, thick fascia of the back. That is why I spend more time there then probably anywhere in the body. This definitely limits their movement capability; it prevents the lifting of the back properly, which again limits the forward and backward movements of the limbs. So, if fascia is a unit of tissue in the horse’s body from front to back, but also from outside to inside, you might now be grasping the picture of what Dr. Ida Rolf said, the source of pain isn’t always where you think it is. Fascial health is important in the maintenance of strength and stability. We can impact the dysfunction in the fascia with our educated hands and elbows, (Dr, Rolf was known as Mrs. Elbows) and impart a more healthy emotional and physical response in our horses. Injuries are less likely to occur and more freedom in movement means better performance and recovery when the fascial regains or maintains its elasticity. All this can be achieved with an educated touch, an attitude of love and respect for these noble animals who give us such joy day in and day out. And in many cases, despite dealing with abusive “owners” who don’t even recognize the suffering they are causing their steeds. More on that issue in the next post!
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