THE TETHERING EFFECTS OF FIBROTIC FASCIA
Usually used to describe something done to horses, the word “tether” means, “A rope, chain, strap, or cord used to tie, especially an animal, within a certain radius, to a fixed place.” Although this is a description of the word used as a noun, I typically use the word as a verb (“tethered”) to describe what microscopic SCAR TISSUE / FIBROSIS is doing to huge segments of the population — especially those dealing with Chronic Pain induced by some of THESE PROBLEMS.
In the same way that horses are not allowed to move freely due to being tied (tethered) to the old hitchin post, scar tissue is tethering people, causing both restriction (even in some that will fool you — HERE) and pain. The end-game of any process that causes joint restriction is a LOSS OF PROPRIOCEPTION that causes degeneration / deterioration as well.
Unfortunately this causes loss of function, which further increases both the speed and severity of the degenerative process, leading to more of the same. As you can see, it’s a horribly vicious cycle. Fail to stop it and it has the potential to disrupt, or even ruin, your life.
Normal connective tissues look somewhat like the pic on the left. The tissue is wavy, giving it the ability to stretch and elast. When outside forces are enough to overcome the tissue’s inherent elasticity, microscopic tearing begins to occur on a cellular level. The first thing that happens other than pain (in MANY CASES there may not be pain) is the release of inflammatory mediators into the extracellular fluid.
While this is certainly a good thing as they are responsible for the healing process, you can never forget that whether we are talking about LIGAMENTS, TENDONS, MUSCLES (not a connective tissue) or FASCIA, inflammation always leads to some degree of SCAR TISSUE (which happens to be the number one cause of death in America — HERE).
Hopefully, the resultant tissue will end up more like the pic in the middle — scarred but functional. Abnormal, but relatively organized. This is more likely to happen in a person who who is both NUTRITIONALLY SOUND and PHYSICALLY ACTIVE. When people are “inflamed” however (take this simple SELF-TEST), the Scar Tissue is more likely to look like the pic on the far right — clumped, wadded, tangled, twisted, and generally bound up and restricted. In a word, it’s tethered.
The problem is that in most cases, we are not talking about visible scars as seen HERE. We are talking about Scar Tissue that’s occurring in tissue that is often times as thin as cellophane. Unfortunately, however, as you can also see from the link above, this tissue can also be incredibly pain-sensitive — over a thousand times that of normal tissue. This is why you need to deal with this situation before it starts causing TYPE III PAIN (aka, “SUPERSENSITIVITY“).
The good news is that we are able to help the biggest portion of people dealing with these sorts of problems — usually quickly and effectively (HERE are numerous examples). When this approach is coupled with lifestyle changes meant to address underlying SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION, the result is almost always an improvement both in how you feel and in function. This is huge because while drugs can certainly make you feel better on some level, they have a myriad of SIDE EFFECTS, while DOING NOTHING to actually change the underlying aberrant physiology. And here’s the coolest thing about all this.
If there is anything easier than making an appointment with me to let me see if I can help you, I’m not sure what it is. I have intentionally made it as simple and affordable as is humanly possible. All my cards are on the table. THIS is what a first visit looks like at my clinic.
And as crazy as it might sound to those of you who have been going visit after visit after visit to chiros or therapists with little in terms of lasting relief, I rarely schedule a new patient a follow-up visit (HERE). I don’t have to. It’s no surprise that people flock to where they get quick, inexpensive relief from pain, and restoration of function (not to mention the “FREEBIES” I hand out to patients all day, every day). And be sure to like, share or follow on FACEBOOK while you’re at it!
