2 minute read
Novel setting
Strategies for Relieving Fascia Pain
By Mark Grevelding
Feeling tightness or pain when you move? It may not be your muscles or joints. Daily aches and pains can also be caused by restricted fascia. Evolving research is paying much more attention to fascia and the role it plays in keeping your body limber, pain-free and less prone to injury. Fascia is a thin layer of connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber and muscle in place. Without fascia, all movement would cease including the ability to stand. Recent studies show that fascia may be almost as sensitive as skin, with restricted fascia triggering pain and other maladies. Healthy fascia slides and glides as you move, as described in an online article by John Hopkins Medicine. Fascia tightens up when it becomes stressed. As it does so, it gets thicker, stickier and drier. The collagen fibers in the fascia dry up and create a restriction, limiting mobility and causing painful knots and adhesions. If you have ever experienced foot pain caused by Plantar Fasciitis, you know all too well what this kind of fascial pain feels like. People often think their knee pain is jointrelated when in fact it is inflammation in the connective tissue that runs from the pelvic bone to the shin bone. A sedentary lifestyle and lack of movement can cause collagen fibers in the fascia to dry up and become restricted. Hence the old adage, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” Repetitive movement can also cause fascia pain, as can dehydration, poor diet and stress. Additionally, fascial damage can also occur after an injury or surgery. If you want to keep your fascia healthy, start moving more. An active lifestyle and exercise are your best defense for keeping your fascial system in optimal “slide & glide” condition. Daily stretching or activities such as yoga are the best things you can do to maintain healthy fascia. Aside from stretching, it is also important to stay hydrated and maintain a healthy, balanced diet. Heat and massage therapy are also recommended for easing fascia pain. If you enjoy exercising in a pool, my UK colleague just posted a gentle stretching routine on the Poolfit app called Fascial Movement for Active Aging. Mark Grevelding is the founder of PoolFit, a fitness app and website that includes over 130 water fitness & in-home workouts suitable for older adults.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
for even more chances to win prizes and gift cards
Instagram: @lifestylesafter50 Facebook: Lifestyles After 50 Twitter: @50lifestyles
