What is fascia and how does it impact us?
Fascia is a type of connective tissue that surrounds muscles, organs, and other structures in the body. It plays a critical role in providing support, stability, and structure to the body while also helping to facilitate movement by allowing muscles to glide over one another. Fascia runs throughout our body, and is even found between the sutures of the cranium, around the pulp of our teeth and in our eyes. This fluid, spider-web substance prevents friction between bodily structures during movement, enabling them to move smoothly against each other. Additionally, it interconnects all of our systems, and all of our cells, which is why issues in one area of the body can affect other areas. It turns out that acupuncture has been treating our fascia all along - an acupuncture treatment can relax the entire fascia body. That explains the feeling of deep relaxation post treatment.
Research on fascia indicates that it is richly innervated, brimming with nerve endings that continuously relay information to the brain. This extensive innervation plays a crucial role in our proprioception—essentially, our sense of body position, muscle coordination, and spatial awareness. Any damage or restriction to the fascia can lead to muscles either becoming inactive or overly activated, potentially resulting in balance issues or pain.
Our fascia can be influenced by a variety of factors, both positive and negative. Injuries from falls, slips, car accidents, concussions, and chronic repetitive activities—such as pitching in baseball or spending long hours at a computer—can lead to stiffness in our fascia, resulting in imbalances. Often, we may not recognize these imbalances right away, but over time, they can manifest as unexplained pain and discomfort, including nerve pain, limited range of motion, headaches, reduced muscle tone, balance issues, and confusion.
While we understand that certain issues—like dehydration, poor sleep, an unhealthy diet, and a sedentary lifestyle—can negatively affect fascial health, new research suggests that there’s much more to explore. Even high levels of stress and emotional trauma can significantly impact the condition of our fascia.
To live our best, pain-free lives, it's essential to maintain healthy and flexible fascia.
Drawing on our extensive experience with thousands of patients, using FRT we can identify and alleviate fascial restrictions that have accumulated over time. This treatment is effectively "resetting" your system to help you feel more like yourself after just a few sessions. This gentle and highly effective manual therapy method allows us to release even the deepest fascial restrictions, making it particularly beneficial for conditions such as brain injuries, spinal injuries, falls, and more.
How does Fascia Reset Therapy Work?
FRT is a groundbreaking light-touch treatment designed to help therapists identify and alleviate fascial strains that may lead to pain, restricted movement, poor circulation, dizziness, muscle imbalances, anxiety, and more.
During a session, you’ll ask the client to reflect on past "incidents" that could have caused trauma, such as falls, car accidents, childhood injuries, concussions, TBI’s or any surgeries and scarring, as well as any repetitive physical activities they may have engaged in.Once you have a good history, you may perform one or several assessments based on your client’s issues. These can range from a neurological assessment, to range of motion tests before the patient gets on the table (fully dressed) This is when you will begin to assess the highest point of tension in their body and begin this gentle release technique. This process will continue as you work through the strains to get to the root cause of their issue. Sometimes this can happen on the first visit, and sometimes an issue can require repeated visits to get to the source. The alterations implemented by the therapist are fundamentally neurological, as fascia maintains a continuous connection with the brain. This is why the therapy can be performed with such a gentle touch yet yield significant results.
How many treatments will your clients need?
While it’s different for everyone, we usually tell clients to expect needing 4-6 treatments to heal an acute injury. Keep in mind chronic and/or complex issues may take longer. The more time the clients has had an issue, the longer it will likely take to work through the layers needed to get to the source and provide full relief. If you can imagine a year-old frozen shoulder, or chronic knee pain for 5 years, you can understand that because of the resulting years of compensation, it may take some time to get to the actual source of the problem.
We often have a better idea how long it will take once the client has received the first treatment and we see how they respond. Depending on the issue, especially if caused by chronic repetitive movements, we may also recommend general maintenance every few months or as needed after the initial issue has been resolved.
What are the Benefits of Fascia Reset Therapy?
Pain Relief
Overall feeling of wellness
Improved balance
Better range of motion and flexibility
Conditions that Often Respond Well to Fascia Reset Treatment:
Falls
Automobile/Bike Accidents
Back Pain/Disc Injuries
Hip Pain
Chronic Tension Headaches/Migraines
Cervical Pain
Tendonitis
Arthritis
Knee Pain
Ankle Pain
Sciatica
Spinal Stenosis
Neuropathy
Shortness of Breath
Carpal Tunnel
Head Injuries - Concussions
Traumatic Brain Injury
TMJ
Recovery from Surgeries
Scar Tissue
Vertigo and Balance Issues
Digestive Issues
Infertility
Bladder Issues
Menstrual Issues
Overall Feeling of Tightness or Dysfunction
Improving Overall Performance
Holding Chiropractic Adjustments
How do I keep my fascia healthy once it’s released?
Once released, many patients ask, “How can I keep my fascia healthy?”
•Hydration •Healthy diet •Get good sleep •Movement •Infrared Sauna •Reduce Inflammation •Maintenance Treatments
Hydration plays a crucial role in maintaining your fascia's health. When fascia is restricted, it tends to become dry and brittle. When the fascial strain is released it will absorb surrounding fluid to rehydrate. This may leave you feeling quite thirsty. After a treatment, it's vital to drink extra water and ensure you're hydrated.
Additionally, varying your routine can significantly enhance the benefits of your treatment. If you're accustomed to working out every day, try to mix things up. Take a few days off after your treatment, then engage in different activities. For instance, if you usually lift weights, consider going for a walk or a swim instead. The key is to avoid repetitive actions that your nervous system has automated.
Why is this important? Your nervous system learns your habitual patterns, and if your fascia has been stuck in a certain state, it becomes integrated into your brain’s "normal." We want to disrupt that pattern and help your body retain the changes made during treatment. Since fascial work influences your brain’s messaging, it's essential to give it a new pattern to prevent it from reverting to autopilot.
If you have a desk job, remember to stand up and move around every 30 minutes, incorporating deep breaths and stretches. If your work is more physically demanding, make it a priority to rest. Although it may seem simple, many of us navigate our days without much awareness of our bodies. To help you stay mindful, consider placing a reminder in your workspace.
Breathe. Stretch. Heal. You deserve it!