Did you wake up this morning with a stiff back? If so, the “Fuzz” could be the reason why.
Fascia a.k.a. “The Fuzz” is a tough connective tissue that spreads throughout the entire body in a three-dimensional web from head to foot without interruption. The fascia surrounds every muscle, bone, nerve, blood vessel and organ in the body, all the way down to the cellular level.
Therefore, malfunction of the fascial system due to trauma, poor posture, repetitive activities, sitting for prolonged periods of time or inflammation can create a “binding” of the fascia. This binding of the fascia makes movement difficult and painful.
What is the role of Fascia:
- It covers everything from head to toe (bone, organs, veins and muscle tissue)
- It is needed for muscle contraction and relaxation
- It creates an attachment surface for tendons and ligaments
- It holds the body’s organs in place
- It is vital for movements and helps transmit tension from muscle to tendon to bone and from ligament to bone
- It is conduit for nerves, blood and lymph vessels as they pass through and between muscle
This short speech given by Dr. Gil Hedley, Ph.D (and really animated guy), discusses the accumulation of fascial fibrosis, or ‘fuzz’, which accumulates both within, and between fascial planes as a result of injury, lack of movement or postural patterns.
Gil Hedley: Fascia and stretching: The Fuzz Speech
Reposted with permission of Robert Vignoli of Roman Paradigm Massage & Therapy