Fascia or myofascia is the dense, tough tissue which surrounds and covers all of your muscles and bones. This outer fascial covering is very strong and very flexible. In fact, it has a tensile strength of over 2000 pounds (over 900 kg).
Under a microscope, myofascia resembles a spiders web or fish net. It is very organized and very flexible in a healthy state. Myofascia can best be described as a complete body suit which runs from the top of your head down to the bottom of your toes. It is continuous, has no beginning or end and can be found almost everywhere in your body. Like yarn in a sweater the entire body is connected to every other part of the body by the fascia. It is a continuous weave of material. And, like a pull in a sweater, damage to an area of fascia can affect other distant areas in your body even years later.
In the normal healthy state the fascia is relaxed and soft. It has the ability to stretch and move without restriction. When you experience physical trauma or inflammation the fascia loses its pliability. It can become tight, restricted and a source of tension throughout the rest of the body. Trauma such as a fall, whiplash, surgery or habitual poor posture has a cumulative effect over time and myofascial release can help. (Qigong can and reverse facial restriction only with regular practice).
Tendons and ligaments are each a type of connective tissue known as fascia. Fascia is a web-like form of connective tissue, often shaped as a band or sheath, that holds other tissue in suspension (organs, blood vessels, muscles, etc). Certain types of fascia known as myofascia permeate muscle, first wrapping individual muscle fibres, then bundles of muscle fibres, then bundles of bundles, and finally, the entire muscle structure. Where the muscle fibres end, the myofascia that has been wrapping all of those fibres continues, becoming the tendon, which actually blends into bone, becoming part of it. With a tensile strength greater than that of steel, fascia is an extremely durable component of the body.
When the myofascial tissues become thickened and lose their elasticity, neurotransmitter ability to send and receive messages between the mind and body is damaged, and the communication between the mind and body is damaged.
In the myofascia there is a material called ground substance. This material can exist in a solid, semisolid, or fluid state.
Chris Ray Chappell 2011
