Healthy Fascia

Grid

Healthy Fascia

Rolfing works with connective tissue, which forms a web-like structure throughout the body. From superficial to the deepest layers at accommodate an active, moving body but it cannot be stretched out. The image below depicts the grid like formation healthy fascia takes while encasing a muscle.the core of the body, fascia envelopes every structure in the body, all the muscles, bones, blood vessels, nerves and internal organs. To get a sense of how it acts, take a look at a plastic grapefruit bag. It’s very flexible but not stretchable, meaning that it can accommodate an active, moving body but it cannot be stretched out. The image to the right  depicts the grid like formation healthy fascia takes while encasing a muscle.

Strained Fascia

Pulls

Fascia With Pulls

Because of injury, illness, stress, aging and repetitive use, this tissue will shorten, thicken become more unyielding and twist according to the pattern of strain to which the body is subjected. To provide an example, when a sheet is pulled from one side of the bed, all parts of the sheet are affected and sections may gather and crinkle due to the pull. Fascial sheaths are quit similar in that points of strain create residual effects on surrounding areas.

Omnipresence of Fascia

Gluteal Fascia

Gluteal Fascia

The image to the right demonstrates how omnipresent connective tissue is in the body. The photograph shows web-like fibers inside the gluteal muscle display how fascia not only lays in giant sheaths, or on top of muscles but also inside the muscles tissue.

Hardened Fascia

Hardened Thickened Fascia

Hardened Thickened Fascia

As the fascia thickens and hardens where chronic tension is present, the fibers begin to solidify creating structure that no longer feel like soft tissue but rather tendons or ligaments. In addition to hardening tissues, severe pain begins to arise and blood and lymph now fight to get through to the blocked area causing poor circulation and nutrition. In situations such as these, exercise can exacerbate the areas due to blood and lymph being unable to circulate and flush out old fluids.