FASCIAL ADHESIONS
A COMMONLY OVERLOOKED CAUSE OF CHRONIC PAIN
Annemarie Busschers
I well remember an incident that happened while in Anatomy Class back when I was in Chiropractic School in St. Louis. The instructor was talking about the periosteum in relationship to a bone-bruise, referring to it as, “the single most pain-sensitive tissue in the body.” I didn’t really think much of this statement until I started studying FASCIA and more particularly, fascial adhesions. Fascia (periosteum included) is the mucousy, cellophane-like membrane that covers almost every tissue in your body. Below are some examples.
- SUPERFICIAL FASCIA: This is the fascial layer lying directly underneath the skin (HERE) that contains both Connective Tissue and fat.
- DEEP FASCIA: The Deep Fascia (sometimes referred to as ‘Investing Fascia’) surrounds your organs as well as muscles, dividing muscles into compartments. Deep Fascia is the tissue that ALLOWS COMMUNICATION with other tissues, sort of like having an extra nervous system. It also provides support, kind of like a spring-loaded skeletal system (HERE). It is the covering for any number of tissues, which are named according to their location.
– FASCIA THAT COVERS BONE: Periosteum and Endosteum
– FASCIA THAT COVERS CARTILAGE: Perichondrium
– FASCIA THAT COVERS BLOOD VESSELS: Tunica Externa
– FASCIA THAT COVERS MUSCLE TISSUE: Epimysium, Perimysium, and Endomysium
– FASCIA THAT COVERS NERVE TISSUE: Epineurium, Perineurium, and Endoneurium
Believe me when I tell you that I barely scratched the surface (HERE). As you should be starting to see, Fascia is continuous. In other words, it is a membrane that winds its way through your entire body as it surrounds and supports any number of tissues and organs. Not surprisingly, it is the most abundant connective tissue in the body.
Why is the Fascia around the muscles so commonly injured? For one, it is an external tissue. As I have shown you before, one of the ways to cause the Fascial Adhesions that I refer to as “SCAR TISSUE” is to bang or hit a body part hard (HERE). What is far more common, however, are overstretching or tearing type injuries — think MVA’s, SPORTS INJURIES, or CONCUSSIONS here — which can result in this same microscopic Scar Tissue. But it’s the chronic overuse type of injuries that are probably the most common — with research saying that repetitive injuries are the hardest to deal with (HERE).
Chronic, repetitive actions can lead to a build up of this Scar Tissue (some will argue that it is not really a Scar Tissue per se, but a “DENSIFICATION” of the fascia). I frankly don’t care if you call it banana boat, it’s dealt with in the SAME FASHION. This might be a great time to also mention that STUDY after STUDY after STUDY has shown us that INFLAMMATION always leads to Scar Tissue (HERE). Another reason that you need to understand THIS POST about solving fascial adhesions.
The more external “Deep Fascia” around the muscles is prone to injury not only because its external or superficial nature leaves it vulnerable to getting hit or impacted in some fashion, but because it is vulnerable to tremendous torquing or shearing forces. Think of it in terms of what happens on a merry-go-round.
If you are standing in the center of a merry-go-round that is being pushed intensely, although you are spinning in a circle, there’s very little force on you. However, move out toward the edge, and it’s all you can do to hold on tight enough to keep yourself from flying off into space (probably the reason you don’t see these relics of a bygone era anywhere anymore).
Regardless of how the adhesion of the Fascia occurs, here’s the dilemma. The tissue that is arguably the single most pain-sensitive tissue in your body, CANNOT BE IMAGED via standard tests such as MRI. What does this mean to you? It means that even though you might be struggling with any number of CHRONIC PAIN SYNDROMES, don’t be surprised if there’s nothing to show for it as far as positive medical tests.
Because of this, it is likely that you will be treated as a drug-seeker — or given a prescription for one or more of “THE BIG FIVE” and essentially told that there is nothing more that can be done for you other than pain management. Or maybe you’ll be sent to a specialist who will do the same things. Because I HAVE LIVED IT MYSELF, I feel for those of you struggling with Chronic Pain.
If you think your pain might be the result of Fascial Adhesions, you’ve got NOTHING TO LOSE BY SEEING IF TISSUE REMODELING COULD HELP YOU. As far as tackling some of the chief sources of inflammation is concerned, I’ve got that covered for you as well. HERE is a simple little post that explains how to get started. Oh; and be sure to like, share or follow on FACEBOOK as it’s still a great way to reach the people you love and care about most.
