Category Archives: Physical

It’s All About The Fascia!

If you are physically hurt, if your body isn’t moving, if you are in pain, you need to know at least a bit about fascia so that you can get the right kind of work done with the least amount of invasive procedures and pain killers.

Fascia is a thin casing of connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber and muscle in place. The tissue does more than provide internal structure; fascia has nerves that make it almost as sensitive as skin. When stressed, it tightens up.

Let me repeat that so that you understand the importance of fascia regarding the functioning of the body. It is NOT the bones that hold the body and its structures in place and functioning properly. IT IS THE FASCIA. Unfortunately this is not typically understood in Western medicine. It has historically not been taught in the medical arena. Doctors and physical therapists alike have not been educated on the functioning of this all important system.

The term fascia itself translates to the word “unorganized”. This is because when it was discovered nobody knew of it’s function. It was considered unimportant. Only the bones and muscles/tendons/ligaments were considered important to the structure and function of the body. NOT TRUE.

I tell you this because if you have a body part that is injured (for example, a knee or low back issues), you need to have the fascia addressed because this is what is causing the pain, lack of mobility or compression of joints or disks. Find a physical therapist that actually hands-on addresses the fascia in the surrounding tissue. Unfortunately, most times physical therapy is geared toward strengthening the muscles around the injured area. THIS MAKES NO SENSE and I will tell you why: If the connective tissue, the fascia, is restricted you are only going to restrict it more if you try to strengthen muscles before releasing the fascia (and you are likely going to do more damage).

Here’s more: by having the fascia worked properly many joint or disc surgeries can be avoided. Find a therapist that is trained in fascial work- a rolfer, a medical massage therapist, a Tom Meyer’s student (Anatomy Trains instructor and author), and some Bowen Therapists. You will be glad you did!

IR Light Therapy for Joint Pain

One natural product that helps is called IR light therapy. Many don’t realize just how effective infrared therapy light therapy can be for pain management.
What is Infrared (IR) Light Therapy? Much like plants, scientific research has shown that human bodies can absorb particles of light (photons) and transform that light energy into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the form of energy needed to power metabolic processes, improve cellular performance, and encourage tissue repair and regeneration.

Infrared light, particularly near-infrared, offers a whole set of medical benefits that are clinically proven to penetrate deep below the skin’s surface layer to target muscle and joint pain at the source, providing much-needed relief for people who suffer from inflammation and injury.

How Does Light Therapy for Pain Work? In the same way that plants grow by getting their energy from the sun during photosynthesis, infrared (IR) therapy or “low-level light” therapy uses specific wavelengths to stimulate a natural response in human tissue that can increase circulation, accelerate tissue repair, ease muscle pain, relieve joint stiffness, and enhance overall cell performance on a microscopic level. Infrared (IR) light therapy works by boosting cellular energy to encourage and enhance the body’s natural healing abilities.