Unlocking The Secrets Of Fascial Tissue May Be The Next Frontier In Natural Health

There are some parts of human anatomy which have inexplicably powerful impacts on health and wellness, including our spiritual and emotional well-being. For example, researchers continue to try to understand the role that the “muscle of the soul” (psoas), or the “seat of the soul” (pineal gland) have, but did you know there is a mysterious tissue in your body which encases every organ, limb, and every other tissue?

It is known as fascia, and scientists are unlocking its secrets to discover that healthy fascia has an extraordinary and disproportionate effect on wellness, and can actually prevent or help us to recover from virtually any disease.

“Fascia is what holds us together. There are very few diseases that don’t have a fascia component” – Frederick Grinnell, Professor of Cell Biology at UT Southwestern Medical School.

Fascia is a thin three-layered tissue that modifies its form under various conditions to aid the body in maintaining healthy movement and a healthy flow of bodily fluids, however, in addition to muscle ailments, fascia has a profound impact on gastrointestinal health, the lymphatic system, and even on the body’s resilience against cancer. Some researchers are even looking at fascia as the key to unlocking Parkinson’s disease.

Scientists are mystified by fascia because although it appears to be influential to so many physical ailments, we currently don’t know much about it, and due to its omnipresence throughout the body, researchers are having a hard time identifying its specific functions or even accurately labeling where it is or isn’t in the body.

“Each organ, each muscle, each artery, each vein, each nerve – there is not one single structure in the whole body that is not connected with fascia or not enveloped by fascia.” – Andreas Haas, Founder of the Manus Training Center, Austria.

Despite such uncertainty, fascia is becoming one of the most important scientific areas of study in the medical community. A 2016 research paper, authored by Antonio Stecco, also found that temperature regulation, cramps, proprioception or spatial awareness, and lymphatic swelling may all be linked to different layers of fascia within the body.

The following video offers a close look at the elasticity of this web of connective tissue:

Neil Roach, a professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University, believes that fascia evolved to aid bipedal movement as humans began to walk upright. Iliotibial (IT) fascia occurs around the side of the leg exclusively in humans as evidence of the concept.

Fascia exists all throughout the body, however, and “holds muscles and organs in place to make sure they don’t jostle around,” claims Roach. Fascia in most areas of the body can be trained to become more elastic, helping organs and tissue function better, although, in some areas stiff fascia might be more beneficial.

Superficial fascia is closest to the outer skin and has been described as “thin and almost translucent,” like “white paper.” Deep fascia is found deeper in muscular tissue, and an even deeper layer of fascia forms a casing around internal organs. Every layer of fascia is not distinct, however, and the layers often intersect and meet each other in a kind of “3D matrix” of tissue.

Due to its depth and complexity within the body, specific disciplines of body work have proven to be exceptionally beneficial, including myofascial massage, and practices like structural integration, which is well-known to help patients improve balance, range of motion, and reduce instances of eye spasms in individuals with muscular dystonia.

There is a growing theory that healthy fascial tissue can also have positive impacts on cancer treatments. Prostate cancer patient Thomas Findley, who is a professor of physical medicine at Rutgers Cancer Institute, conducted a 2018 study which shows that stretching serves to reduce tumor growth in mice with breast cancer.

As noted by professor Grinnell, this area of study is one of the leading frontiers in modern medicine, as it holds great promise for people looking to heal themselves without relying on the medical establishment and resorting to expensive drugs or risky medical procedures like surgery.

“I think that understanding about the science of fascia is really important for people who are investigating different ways of being healthy other than surgery or drugs.” – Frederick Grinnell.

The following video offers an interesting look at this amazing part of the body:

yogaesoteric
April 25, 2020