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It’s time to get to know your fascia.
Everyone knows at this point to give your muscles some TLC after an intense workout. But it’s also critical to take care of their main support network: The fascia. This web-like tissue that coats your muscles, nerves, and organs is not particularly sexy.
However, it’s a fundamental part of our anatomy, like the subway system is beneath the New York City streets. If you ignore your fascia, you could be worse for it, experiencing inflammation, opening yourself up to pain, and reducing your range of motion.
“Fascia is the 3D spider web matrix of the body that holds everything together,” says physical therapist Dan Giordano, co-founder of next-level PT practice Bespoke Treatments.
“A lot of the research surrounding fascia is relatively new, but what we know is that when it’s stressed it can tighten up. When fascia becomes restricted, it can restrict your movements and cause discomfort.”
Healthy fascia is smooth, slippery, and flexible, adds Giordano. This restriction can occur from either not moving enough or moving too much. The former has especially become a problem during the pandemic, as our inside time goes on and on.
It doesn't take much, says Giordano: “Even with something like our lack of commute, that can cause the fluid that exists between the layers of fascia to dry out. When that happens, it’s not as pliable.”
The question: How do you treat your fascia to keep it in tip-top, high-functioning shape? Regular stretching and mobility work, for starters. Simple things like getting up from your cozy WFH position once an hour, and adding in regular dynamic stretching into your regular routine can be critical.
Another common fix for fascia wonkiness: A foam roller. Research has shown that working yourself with a foam cylinder can help reduce delayed onset-muscle soreness (and further, boost performance in later workouts) and increase muscle flexibility. Plus, they're cheap! No excuse not to have one.
Of course, then you can take it to the next level with a vibrational or percussive device, which can better target nooks and crannies to work out knots Two of the biggest players on the market, Theragun by Therabody and Hyperice, both released new devices this year.
If everyone from NBA athletes to Chris Hemsworth is using percussive devices, then they must be onto something. Science co-signs that percussive and vibrational therapy can offer more bag for your buck than simply stretching or foam rolling alone. Research from 2019 indicates that vibrational therapy can achieve greater short-term effects on pain perception and range of motion.
“When you think about a toothbrush, you can brush your teeth every day, you’ll get the job done,” says Jim Huether, the CEO of Hyperice.
“But if you brush with a Sonicare toothbrush, you’ll likely do an even better job, enhancing the effectiveness. That’s what happens when you add that next level of therapy.”
According to Giordano, the best way to implement percussive therapy for healthy fascia is before and after a stretching session.
“The great thing about percussive therapy is that the amplitude on the head of the device—or how deep the device penetrates into the muscle—can apply vertical pressure, which is great for amping up blood flow,” he says.
“I’d use percussive therapy briefly before a stretch session, and then again after for a longer period of time in an effort to relax the nervous system. Think of it this way: Motion is lotion.”
[ Via GQ ]
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