Five reasons to add Myofascial release to your routine.

Myofascial release has become a bit of a buzzword in the wellness industry and with good reason. Ongoing research is finding that what at first appears to be simply another form of connective tissue, who’s function is primarily structural, is in fact involved in various other essential aspects of wellbeing.

So why is the health of our fascia so important?

1. Immune response - the fascia is an important part of the immune system, enabling movement of nutrients between tissues, communicating with sensors in the skin to regulate temperature and allowing communication through the entire body. A healthy fascia is the basis for a healthy body.

2. Communication - we all know the song “the leg bone’s connected to the knee bone” but through fascial lines, the leg bone is also connected to the pelvis, abdomen, rib cage, shoulders and head. So, if you injure your foot and the tissue around the injury is not rehabilitated as well as the injury itself, you could find yourself with chronic shoulder pain of no obvious cause, that is, until you realise that your shoulder is in fact connected to your foot. Interestingly, the meridians described thousands of years ago by Chinese medicine have been found to correspond to around 80% of the Myofascial lines that run throughout the body. The ‘magic’ way that your reflexology treatment works now begins to make sense!

3. Mental wellbeing - it is thought that emotions, especially deep-seated trauma, are held in the connective tissues. A palpable form of ‘emotional baggage’ so to speak, which twists itself up over the years, creating chronic tension. Just think of how tight and sore your shoulders get after a stressful day! Bodywork Techniques such as craniosacral therapy and Rolfing aim to unpack this baggage to restore wellbeing but for the best results you might want to consider pairing physical treatment with meditation or CBT.

4. Free movement - when the fascia is functioning well, it glides. This smooth movement allows full range of motion at the joints, good posture and ease of movement as we go about our daily activity. In short, when you regularly check in with your fascia, you maintain the ease that makes day to day movement a pleasure, not a chore.

5. Cellular regeneration - fascia is made up primarily of a protein called collagen. You may know the term from those anti-wrinkle cream adverts, but it’s much more important than just skin elasticity. Collagen is essential in the daily repair of connective tissue and when inflammation from an injury signals the need for more cells, it is also responsible for helping to repair damaged tissue.

So, if you were wondering why all the hype - there we are. Five reasons you should be looking after your fascia. If you don’t feel like you have the know-how or the time, then book in with a specialist. Your body will thank you!