From John F Barnes, Physiotherapist in 1995.
“Other important factors concerning fascia are:
It supports and stabilizes thus enhancing the postural balance of the body.
It is vitally involved in all aspects of motion and acts as a shock absorber.
It aids in circulatory economy, especially in venous and lymphatic fluids.
Fascial change will often precede chronic tissue congestion.
Such chronic passive congestion creates the formation of fibrous tissue, which then proceeds to increase hydrogen ion concentration of articular periarticular structures.
Fascia is a major area of inflammatory processes.
Fluid and infectious processes often travel along fascial planes.
The central nervous system is surrounded by fascial tissue (dura mater) which attaches to the inside of the cranium, the foramen magnum and at the second sacral segment. Dysfunction in these tissues can have profound and widespread neurological effects.”
John Barnes, P.T., L.M.T., N.C.T.M.B., is an acknowledged expert in the area of myofascial release. He has instructed thousands of therapists worldwide in his Myofascial Release Approach, and he is the author of Myofascial Release: the Search for Excellence (Rehabilitation Services, Inc, 1990) and Healing Ancient Wounds: the Renegade’s Wisdom (MFR Treatment
Centers & Seminars, 2000).
From John Barnes via writer Julia Elliot in 2003.
In its normal healthy state, the fascia is relaxed and wavy in configuration. It can stretch and move without restriction. When afflicted with physical trauma, scarring, or inflammation, however, the fascia loses its pliability. It becomes tight and restrictive, a source of tension to the rest of the body. Falls, whiplash injuries, surgeries or even habitual poor posture and repetitive stress injuries have cumulative effects. Traumatized fascia can exert excessive pressure that produces pain or decreased range of motion, can affect flexibility and stability, and can even hamper our ability to cope with strain and stress.
“It has been estimated that when trauma or an inflammatory process occurs, the myofascial system can exert tensile forces of up to approximately 2,000 pounds per square inch” says Barnes. “This kind of excessive pressure exerted upon pain-sensitive structures produces the symptoms that the vast majority of our patients present with every day,” he explains. “This is also coupled with the confusion that myofascial restrictions do not show up in any of the standard testing, so it has been misdiagnosed for a long period of time.
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