Meeting Your Body Where It’s At
Fascial bodywork means we listen in, adjusting contact as needed. Gentle tension and/or compression is applied to your body, meeting your tissue’s resistance. We pause, we wait, we breathe. We allow your body and nervous system the time and space to recognize what you need, and we adjust accordingly.
A light touch over longer periods helps to unwind the body, improve mobility, and reduce pain and inflammation. Contact is often static, and it is common for no oil or cream to be used during treatment. If oil or cream is used, options include jojoba oil and/or Biotone Pure Touch Organics Massage Creme. Please review ingredients for allergies/sensitivities.
What is fascia?
“The fascial system consists of the three-dimensional continuum of soft, collagen containing, loose and dense fibrous connective tissues that permeate the body. It incorporates elements such as adipose tissue, adventitiae and neurovascular sheaths, aponeuroses, deep and superficial fasciae, epineurium, joint capsules, ligaments, membranes, meninges, myofascial expansions, periostea, retinacula, septa, tendons, visceral fasciae, and all the intramuscular and intermuscular connective tissues including endo-/peri-/epimysium. The fascial system surrounds, interweaves between, and interpenetrates all organs, muscles, bones and nerve fibers, endowing the body with a functional structure, and providing an environment that enables all body systems to operate in an integrated manner.”
Check out this paper published by anatomist John Sharkey on why fascia is not a system! I appreciate his passion for language and his drive to establish clarity across different disciplines and populations.
“Widespread adoption of such terminology has occurred with limited or no critical examination regarding its anatomical validity or its lack of consistency with internationally recognized anatomical nomenclature standards.”
-Sharkey J. Fascia Is Not a System: A Critical Appraisal of Terminological Drift in Anatomical Literature. Clin Anat. 2026 Jul 15. doi: 10.1002/ca.70175. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42458875
The in-between. The integration. Communication.
With an estimated 250 million nerve endings, our fascia is sensitive stuff! (R. Schleip, PhD, 2022)
With a tensile strength of 2000 pounds per square inch, it’s strong, too! (Katake, 1961)
What happens if we slow down? If we soften? If we have support?
If our fascia becomes dehydrated, injured, or if we experience disease, there can be an increase in stiffness and a reduction in mobility, often resulting in pain and/or dysfunction. Some bodies produce faulty collagen, a main building block of fascia, leading to connective tissue disorders. These can include but are not limited to Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes, Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder, and Marfan Syndrome.
Additionally – “research shows that emotional stress may exert significant influences on the expression of myofascial pain.” – Dr. Robert Schleip
Fascial research is a fascinating and constantly evolving area of study! There are many knowledgeable voices sharing their insights to continue furthering research and understanding. Recognizing the continuity within our bodies can allow us to better care for our selves, each other and the world around us.
