Trauma affects your fascia, but why should you care?
I care personally because addressing my fascia was key to my trauma-healing needs. I continue to regulate my nervous system with fascia care. I have seen the way my clients benefit. For some of my most complex cases, a course of hands-on fascia work allowed us to begin a healing process that sometimes ended decades-old symptoms. Clients have told me that the work can feel “psychedelic,” providing sudden insight, and “more relaxing than Xanax.” Those were just a couple of comments in the last few weeks. I could do a whole post on clients' reactions to the work (and I shall!). That seemingly simple body and touch work can produce effects as powerful as drugs without the hangover (usually) has completely altered my reality since I learned it in my mid-20s. It feels ordinary to me now, but I am constantly reminded of how amazing it is because my clients continue to react so strongly to it. “But why is fascia work so powerful?” you might ask. When I first encountered the power of fascia work, I asked this question, which kicked off a decade of voracious study on the topic. I will now attempt to give you a few distilled key points that can answer this question. The fascia and the nervous system occupy the same space in the body and are extremely intertwined. The fascia, a connective tissue, is intertwined with the nervous system as it contains sensory receptors called proprioceptors. These receptors provide information about body position and movement to the brain, contributing to the body's overall sense of spatial awareness. Additionally, fascia has been suggested to influence neural signaling and may play a role in conditions involving chronic pain or body system dysfunction (circulatory, digestive, lymphatic, immune, endocrine, etc.). Therefore, psychological trauma shows up in the fascial system. Psychological trauma can manifest in the fascial system through various mechanisms. Trauma may lead to increased muscle tension, affecting the fascia and potentially causing it to become tight or restricted. Chronic stress from trauma can contribute to the development of myofascial trigger points, which are hypersensitive areas in the muscles and fascia. Moreover, the body's response to trauma, particularly the fight-or-flight response, can create patterns of muscular tension and altered movement, impacting the fascial system. Emotional stress and trauma might also influence the autonomic nervous system, which can affect the fascia's tone and function. Research on the connection between psychological trauma and the fascial system is ongoing, and it's an evolving area of study within fields like psychoneuroimmunology and somatic psychology. Many of us in the Fascia and Somatic Fields regularly witness spontaneous memory recall when areas of an individual fascial system are released or when positions of past trauma (or even positions of neutral or pleasurable events) are experienced in a person's posture or body positioning. Fascial touch and movement techniques act on the Ruffini Endings and why that matters. Fascial release techniques, including stretching, “unwinding,” and a specific type of massage, may influence the fascia through various mechanisms, including stimulating Ruffini nerve endings. Ruffini endings are a type of proprioceptor found in the fascia that responds to sustained pressure and stretching. When myofascial release is applied, it can lead to a decrease in tissue tension and increased flexibility. The pressure and stretching stimulate Ruffini nerve endings, sending signals to the central nervous system that contribute to a relaxation response. This can result in a reduction of muscle tension and improved mobility in the fascial system. Since the fascial system is involved in all systems, including the nervous system, which is where psychological trauma is “stored,” trauma affects your fascia. Based on my personal, my colleagues, and my clients’ experiences, the current theory is that releasing fascia allows us to release some aspect of trauma stored in the central nervous system. Fascia also affects your trauma. The fascial system can put up to 2000 lbs per square inch on the body by means of restrictions that form in response to injuries and chronic psychological patterning. The brain registers this crushing force as danger and stress. When the circulatory, musculoskeletal, and other body systems no longer suffer the crushing pressure of fascial restrictions, they stop alerting the brain that they are in danger, thereby decreasing the overall stress load in the body. Big Caveat: much like mold illness, autoimmune disorders, and other stress disorders, while it is wise to treat restrictions at the body level (like treating mold symptoms through detoxification protocols), regulating your nervous system is ultimately more important. If you treat your restrictions without knowing how to regulate your nervous system, you'll be treating restrictions forever and wondering where is the benefit. Ideally, both happen at the same time. Why You Might Care. The profound interconnection between the fascial and nervous systems highlights the significance of addressing trauma through fascia care. The revelations stemming from personal experiences, as well as the transformative impact observed in clients, emphasize the potency of fascial work in trauma healing. The manifestation of psychological trauma within the fascial system, whether through increased muscle tension, the development of trigger points and chronic unexplained pain (think fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome), or altered movement and posture patterns, emphasizes the intricate relationship between mind and body. The ongoing research in fields like psychoneuroimmunology and somatic psychology further validates the evolving understanding of how trauma “resides” within the fascia, so to speak. The tangible results witnessed by those in the Fascia and Somatic Fields, including spontaneous memory recall during fascial release, inspire hope in the potential of these techniques in unlocking and processing deeply embedded traumas. Fascial touch and movement techniques, by acting on the Ruffini nerve endings, offer a unique avenue for trauma release. The stimulation of these proprioceptors through pressure and stretching initiates a cascade of responses in the central nervous system, ultimately leading to a relaxation response. This process reduces tissue tension and enhances flexibility and mobility in the fascial system, which is intricately linked to all bodily systems. Thus, all body systems potentially experience renewed freedom in their function. In the process of trauma healing, the revelation that releasing fascia may facilitate the release of stored trauma in the central nervous system presents a compelling perspective. The comparison of fascial work to the powerful effects of drugs, without the undesirable side effects, speaks to the potential of this approach in promoting holistic well-being. As we continue to unravel the mysteries of the mind-body connection, the role of fascia in trauma becomes increasingly evident, providing new avenues for healing and resilience.
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AuthorProsopon Therapy Archives
April 2024
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