What is fascia?

Fascia is connective tissue present in all areas of the body. It helps to maintain the structural integrity of the body. Imagine it is like a big knitted sweater interlaced through all your tissues, muscles, organs, around bones, everywhere you look, there it is.

In it’s optimal state, fascia is stretchy, flexible and resilient. In instances of physical or emotional trauma, stress, or imbalanced holding patterns, fascia can become restricted and become hard, achey, and tense. Fascia is connected all over the body, so if you imagine a knitted sweater that snags in one area, all the yarn around it will become restricted, pulling towards it. When this happens, it creates tension in the body, sometimes far beyond the original area on tension. This can cause aches, poor balance, limited blood and lymph flow, and overall stiffness.

Massage can help reduce fascial restrictions and restore a sense of balance in the body. Sometimes pain in your forehead can originate in the bottom of your foot. Cupping and deep tissue are especially effective in addressing fascial restriction.