Are you familiar with the fibrous tissue, known as fascia? More folks are learning about the importance of this body-wide structural fabric, along with therapies that aim to treat it. However, due to the newness of scientific research surrounding fascia, some only have a baseline knowledge of this incredible part of the human body. Let’s explore five attributes that make fascia unique—and why it’s crucial to ensure these tissues remain healthy.   

Strong as Steel 

As a living tissue, fascia is extremely tough. Both the individual fibers and the tissue as a whole have the tensile strength of steel, which can protect us from injuries. However, that strength also means that you can’t stretch fascia (although there are many common misconceptions about this). Different areas of fascia have varied amounts of “give” built into their construction, but this does not make the tissue stretchable.  

Think of it more like a piece of gauze—the individual fibers don’t stretch, but there is a certain degree of stretch to the fabric due to the looseness in how fibers are woven.  Fascia under your skin has a loose “weaving,” which allows for skin movement. Whereas fascia that covers your lower back is dense and tight, which limits how far your spine can flex and keeps the delicate spinal joints safe. 

Whether it’s loose or dense, when fascia reaches the end of its give, the fibers cannot stretch any further without injuring the tissues they’re attached to. This does not mean that stretching is harmful— it just means that when you perform a stretch, the motion won’t lengthen your fascia fibers. Instead, that stretching movement will force muscle tension to release and allow the fascia to lengthen to its full capacity.  

Better than Vision 

Our eyes are important, but our most vital sense comes from our fascia. This tissue, along with other fibrous tissues like ligaments and tendons, has millions of nerve endings that sense pressure or tension. Physical motions activate these nerve endings, which creates proprioception.  This “position sense” is absolutely crucial for all coordinated movements—from tying shoe laces to drinking from a cup of water.   

Without position sense, the nervous system can’t align or stabilize your joints. Muscle tension would also be imbalanced without position sense, making it impossible to move or do anything at all. Why are folks not more aware of this important sense? Well, because proprioception is subconscious. We notice when light hits our eyes to create vision or sound reaches our ears to stimulate hearing, but the fascia sensations cause proprioception don’t reach the conscious part of our brains. We can use that internal picture for posture and coordination, but we aren’t aware of the internal picture itself.  

Hydraulic System 

Whether dense or loose, fascia is like a fibrous sponge.  The spaces between each fiber contain fluid that’s mostly water.  This water is critical for keeping the fascia both healthy and pliable.  Drink plenty of water for adequate fascia hydration, and perform exercises or stretches to ensure the fascia tissue remains evenly lubricated. 

Healthcare practitioners who use manual therapy to release fascia will feel a difference in the pliability of areas where tension has been released.  Although not yet proven by research, it is commonly believed that this softening is at least partly due to water lubrication moving and flowing into the treated area.    

Fascia is Active 

Until recently, fascia was thought of as a passive structural fabric. However, in recent years, a cell that can contract like muscle was found in small amounts in fascia. New research has also shown that these cells can help fascia stiffen.   

The contraction is slow, and the movement is small, compared to muscles—but researchers believe this ability to stiffen fascia can help increase both stability and strength in parts of our bodies that bear considerable amounts of force. For example, if you were to spend hours lifting heavy flowerpots and bags of mulch outside, your lower back fascia will tighten up to protect your back, as if you were wearing a supportive belt.  

Fascia Needs Maintenance 

Just like your muscles, fascia becomes stronger and more resilient with regular exercise.  But, while a single muscle can move just one joint, fascia is interconnected in complex ways throughout the entire human body.   

Strength exercises that focus on a single joint motion can help isolate individual muscles, but that’s not as helpful when it comes to fascia. The stimulation from complex full-body movements—such as swimming, biking, and yoga—will keep your fascia at peak performance levels. Plyometrics, or exercises that involve jumping or bouncing, can also help you maintain strong and elastic fascia. 

As mentioned earlier, hydration is critical for healthy fascia as well. Drinking adequate amounts of water each day, combined with exercise, will push water through the full-body web of your fascia. Nutrition is also important for fascia health—anti-inflammatory foods like those in the Mediterranean diet will contribute to more resilient fascia, too. 

Finally, don’t forget to stretch. Pre-exercise stretches should be light and gentle since you don’t want fascia tissues at their full length before the actual workout. However, research shows that stretching after exercise can prevent injury to both muscles and fascia. Post-exercise stretches can be deeper and more intense, but should never feel uncomfortable.  

Dr. Eric Winder has been practicing chiropractic for 28 years. His practice emphasizes relieving pain and restoring alignment and motion with gentle fascia release therapies. For more information, call 941-957-8390 or visit https://gentlebay.com/